Love drives people to do extraordinary things. It sometimes even drives them to death. This is in the case of human beings – love of a man for a woman, or the love of a woman for a man. But here is an unusual love – one that has led a Muslim to spend his life in a temple. He is A. Karim Set, who has chosen to live in a temple for the love of an elephant, Athinayaki

Hailing from a Zamindar clan that became the first Muslim family to donate an elephant to a temple, Karim fell in love with these gentle giants very early in life. His family donated Muthulakshmi to the Mayakoothar Nava Thirupathy Temple in Perunkulam. To keep his love for the jumbos alive, this 54-year-old from Thenkasi has chosen the profession of a mahout for temple elephants.

“I went to live in the Adhinadha Azhwar Temple at Azhwar Thirunagiri in Tuticorin district as a mahout 14 years ago,” says Karim, who is in charge of the 17-year-old Athinayaki.

His bonding with Athinayaki elephant is such that the elephant would offer him a share of a fruit before she starts eating it. “She is like a child to me. She will only eat after I turn down the offer. I too share my food with her,” says the mahout.

There are many anecdotes that go to prove their deep bonding. It happened once that when Karim Set fell ill, Athinayaki too took ill and became critical. His son K. Abbas, an AC mechanic, says that doctors had declared that Athinayaki would not survive for more than six months as she had contracted a breathing trouble subsequent to Karim Set falling ill.

“It was a miracle that my father survived. But the greater miracle is that Athinayaki too has lived all these years after that,” says Abbas, who tends to Athinayaki when Karim is away.

Karim Set does not allow anyone, except his son, to end to Athinayaki in his absence.

Karim Set also takes care of another elephant, Kumuthavalli (22) from the Vaithamanithi Perumal Temple in Tuticorin district. This too happened under strange circumstances.

“Her mahout killed the helper as he had complained that the former was beating the elephant brutally. I took her under my care or else she would have died years ago,” adds Set who believes that he can train any elephant.

Karim Set’s philosophy in life is very simple. He sees God everywhere. “God is same for Hindus, Muslims and Christians. It is we who have created barricades and find ourselves divided,” he adds.

However, apart from his life philosophy, Karim Set still feels that people have a lot to learn from elephants and other animals. “Life is all about discipline. Animals attack and even kill humans because we are not disciplined. If we remain disciplined and responsible using our sixth sense, we will be able to coexist with animals happily,” he sums up.

Karim Set is now at the Elephant Rejuvenation Camp at Thekkampatty.