Adored, worshipped, exploited, killed—the elephant and its relationship with humans is fraught with many emotions. With its funny trunk, majestic tusks, portly body and playfulness, the elephant is full of contradictions. Is it a friend to man, like the elephant from old films such as Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), or has this friendship come at a great cost for the elephant? What do we learn of the elephant’s life from documentaries like The Elephant Whisperers (2022), which fetched its makers an Academy Award?

In The Elephant Book: Myths, Folklore and True Stories, meet elephants from myths, history and news stories, introducing you to different facets of their significance in culture, religion and politics.