Few people in and around Munnar have seen or heard of Padayappa, the giant wild tusker who roams the hill-resort and its tea gardens. In fact, tourists, wanting to get a snapshot of him, often inquire about his whereabouts. His reputation for reasonably good behavior comes first wherever he goes.
Watching Padayappa walk down the road will make even the hard-hearted quail swoon – especially if someone bumps into him at a sharp turn. His look is very strong. Standing about 10 feet tall, his tattered ears flutter idly, his mud-stained parts are visible and his massive teeth protrude alarmingly.
Nevertheless, the locals have faith in the innate goodness of Padayappa. They believe that they would not harm anyone if they were left unharmed and allowed to eat what they wanted. This tolerance sometimes sees him plundering fruit stalls and vegetable gardens at will. When people try to drive him away, he puts on a mask of aggression, which he soon gives up.
Padayappa once socially entered a football game. Knowing his sociability, the players stood cautiously, and after a while he lay down, perhaps feeling like an unwanted behemoth among the dwarves. On another occasion, he graciously accepted a coconut on top of a wall from a distant well-wisher. These incredible images can be found all over the internet.
Recently, on our way to Munnar early in the morning, we saw a queue of vehicles about 50 meters away, their headlights inexplicably turned off. A closer look revealed that Padayappa was walking ahead of us, barely 15 meters away. Realizing that he was blocking traffic, he soon turned to the side of the road. And as we passed by, I could easily reach and pat him – he was so close! Yet he showed no signs of unrest.
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