‘Lord Ganpati has arrived’: Elephant gives birth in Raigarh amid Ganesh fest; calf seen as blessing | Raipur News

RAIPUR: “Ganpati khud padhare hain (Lord Ganesha has come to us)”, chanted villagers in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, as they broke into celebrations on Tuesday after a wild elephant gave birth to a healthy calf. This sparked jubilation and drew a large crowd eager to have a dekko of the newborn calf, calling it a “good omen” as it coincided with the ongoing Ganesh festival.The word spread by noon, and hundreds from far off villages began pouring in. Forest department officials had a tough time taking the mother-calf duo away from the frenzied crowd as they felt the atmosphere was not right for the health of the newborn. The elephant calf was born around 3am in the forests bordering Katangdih village in the Gharghoda forest range. “Hume Ganpati ke sakshat darshan hue (We were blessed to have seen Lord Ganesh). We performed puja from afar. The calf has joined the herd and moved away. Now, even if they venture into our fields, we wouldn’t stop or chase them away,” villagers Ghanshyam Rathiya and Mahesh Kanwar said. “With Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations going on, the birth of a baby elephant in our fields feels like a blessing,” another villager, Tushar Sahu, said.Videos of villagers worshipping and hailing the pachyderms went viral on social media. Raigarh divisional forest officer (DFO) Arvind PM said a large number of villagers gathered at the spot, watching the mother and the newborn calf from a distance. “Our team on the spot has been instructed to ensure safety of both the elephants and onlookers,” he said. Villagers have been calling this a good omen. The mother elephant and calf are in good health,” the DFO said. Gharghoda forest range officer CK Rathiya said, “A herd of 47 elephants has been venturing in the range, out of which 11 shifted to the Chhal area. Around 36 elephants are still here. The calf has now been reunited with the herd. Our teams are monitoring their movement.” Forest staff urged residents not to crowd the site, warning that excessive noise or close encounters could agitate the herd. “We requested people to maintain distance and avoid clicking photographs or making videos from close range,” he said. Drone surveillance has also been deployed to track the herd and ensure the safety of both the animals and local communities.