Ganesha, the elephant-headed god in the Hindu pantheon, is revered as the removal of obstacles, but in many Ganesha temples in India, particularly in the state of Kerala, birthplace of Sangita Iyer, live elephants are held, shackled as prisoners. In other instances, elephants are kept by entertainment entrepreneurs to perform in numerous festivals. To Iyer, this is enslavement of beings who really are godlike in their majesty, patience, and intelligence. Listen in to hear how "elephant people" inspired this former TV news reporter to found Voice for Asian Elephants Society, make the award-winning documentary, Gods in Shackles, and write the book Gods in Shackles, a recent number 1 bestseller on Amazon. You'll also learn what elephants are doing to stem climate change, and why the World Bank says that every elephant in the wild makes a $1.75 million lifetime contribution to planetary integrity through their role in carbon sequestration. 

Voice for Asian Elephants Society find out Sangita Iyer and how you can help Asian Elephants

Gods in Shackles by Sangita Iyer

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