India, June 12 -- By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik - Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist

The elephant and the horse have played a major role in shaping Indian culture. The elephant is native to India; the horse is not.

The elephant loves the hot tropical climate in India and thrives in the rich tropical forests, where it grazes for up to 16 hours a day. These wild animals posed great threats to early human settlements in the Gangetic regions and were trapped and domesticated. As domesticated animals, they helped create pathways through the forests, as a result of which the idea of an elephant god who removes obstacles emerged.

Over time, the elephant became a magnificent animal, favoured by merchants as it could travel over mountains and...