The Manakkula Vinayagar Temple administration had informed that Lakshmi would return to the temple after the forest department doctors from Tamil Nadu came and conducted a check-up. Similarly, as per the advice of the doctors, Lakshmi was also taken for a walk. Accordingly, this morning Lakshmi was taken for a walk from the Vedapureeswarar temple where she was staying. Lakshmi suddenly collapsed while passing Galway College on Mission Road and died shortly afterwards. Lakshmi, who was suffering from various physical ailments recently, was suffering from frequent foot ulcers due to diabetes.
Diabetes was under control with medicines prescribed by doctors. In this case, this morning, the forest department doctors examined the elephant, which suddenly fell unconscious. In it, the preliminary tests revealed that Lakshmi might have died due to a heart attack.
In this regard, the temple administration said, “Doctors from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department are coming to Puducherry for a physical examination. And after public tributes, the body will be exhumed and buried in the evening,” it said.
Now the temple is closed and the elephant Lakshmi is kept for the tributes of the public and devotees.