Lakshmi, an elephant in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has a penchant for the harmonica, and is showing great promise, according to her mahout, Balan.
Lakshmi, an elephant in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has a penchant for the harmonica, and is showing great promise, according to her mahout, Balan. Image Credit: Twitter

Tamil Nadu: Playing an instrument no easy feat for bipedals with a sense of rhythm and tune. But what happens when all you’ve got is a snout and a very ‘motivated’ master? Apparently, beautiful music. India’s ANI news agency has reported an elephant with a penchant for the harmonica. Lakshmi, a pachyderm in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is showing great promise – at least as per her mahout, Balan. He said: “I had to struggle a lot to train Lakshmi to play the mouth organ. She had broken the mouth organ 3-4 times that I had given her earlier but I did not give up. I kept on trying and slowly she started learning it.”

Lakshmi, who lives in a rejuvenation camp in Thekkampatti, has been recorded – bells around her neck, face paint in place, trunk in charge of music – dancing to her own tune. Here’s a look at the video.