Rivers are a source of strength and relish a superior place in prayers and traditional practices. Perhaps, the one considered most divine and sacred, is taking a dip in the sanctified rivers. A belief that this would free our soul from the accrued sins and can release us from wrench of life.

Many devotes took holy dip in Tungabhadra River before Darshan of Rayaru. A few decades back, one of the devotees who was bathing sloped and fell into the river, as the tide was very high. The eyewitnesses were spectacle to this incident but lacked ability to rescue him. 

They could not help but uttered a loud cry typically as an expression of a strong emotion ‘Raghavendra Raghavendra’ and to their surprise, just did they see an elephant of the mutt coming towards the banks of the Tungabhadra to take usual bath. Hearing the distress pain and sorrow of the spectators, it ran like a horse on the irregular rocky terrain and jumped into the river to rescue the devotee who was drowning and pulled him out of the river with his trunk. The locals were astonished with the miracle and wondered how can an elephant with ample physical structure can run like a horse. It was a hot topic in the local news.

The elephant drawing insights from Guru Raghavendra executed an incredible job of saving a life. Even the mahout was amazed at it.