In the word elephant, the suffix 'Ant' indicates a thing or agency and therefore the word elephant like the Dravidian word 'AN' and its variations like Anai, Ana and Enugu may mean an animal that is god or at least in animal worshipped as a totem or dedicated to 'An' a Dravidian deity later on identified as Shiva.

In the early days of conquest of the Indus Valley, the invading Aryans flushed with pride were bent upon belittling the Deities and sacred animals of the people of the Indus Valley. They ridiculed Shivalingam the pillar emblem of God common among the semitic and Dravidian races as Sisna Deva (Phallus God) and made the holy elephant as the mount for their chief of Gods Indra. To add insult to injury, this elephant mount of Indra was named by the invaders as lravathan meaning face of God (Ira meaning god and vathan meaning face). Motives of the origin apart, the coining of the word Iravatham is analogous in process and content to the coining of the word 'Pe-ni-el' (face of God) by Jacob to name the place where at he had a night long wrestle with an angel and where at he erected a pillar to commemorate the fight.

The domination and arrogance of the Aryan God did not last long. The elephants regained their lost importance and began to play prominent roles in all affairs where men and God are involved. Buddhists also holds these animals sacred, as Lords. Buddha is said to have descended from heaven in the form of a white elephant into his mother's womb in answer to her prayer to Ganesha for a child. When Buddha was recognised as an avathar (incarnation) of Maha Vishnu by the Hindus the status of the elephant also went a step high.

After the Aryan invasion of the Indus Valley many of the original inhabitants migrated to the south carrying their cultural and religious traditions with them. The elephant Continued to be their sacred animal in the South also which is proved by the ancient custom of the Pattathu Anai (State Elephant) selecting a ruler by placing a garland of flowers round his neck. The state elephant was considered as a Divine medium and the people respected its verdict without demur.