A temple in India’s southern state of Kerala has replaced an elephant with a life-sized mechanical robot to help devotees conduct rituals in a “cruelty-free” manner. PETA India gifted the elephant to the temple with the help of actor Parvathy Thiruvothu.
They hoped this would help in holding events “in a cruelty-free manner”.
Chained, saddled and decorated, elephants play an important part in temple festivals in Kerala – the state is home to about a fifth of the country’s roughly 2,500 captive elephants.
The Irinjadappilly Sri Krishna Temple in Thrissur district on Sunday inaugurated the robotic elephant in an effort to reduce animal cruelty.
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Kerala’s Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple will use a lifelike mechanical elephant to perform rituals, allowing real elephants to remain with their families in nature.
The initiative is supported by @parvatweets.#ElephantRobotRaman https://t.co/jwn8m2nJeU pic.twitter.com/jVaaXU7EHg— PETA India (@PetaIndia) February 26, 2023
The 11-feet-tall mechanical animal has been named Irinjadapilly Raman by the temple authorities. Made of an iron frame and rubber coating, the 800kg elephant was donated by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India with the support of actor Parvathy Thiruvothu.
In a statement, Peta India said, “The frustration of captivity leads elephants to develop and display abnormal behaviour. At their wit’s end, frustrated elephants often snap and try to break free, running amok and so harming humans, other animals, and property. According to figures compiled by the Heritage Animal Task Force, captive elephants killed 526 people in Kerala in a 15-year period. The chikkattukavu Ramachandran, who has been held captive for about 40 years and is one of the most often used elephants in Kerala’s festival circuit, has reportedly killed 13 individuals- six mahouts, four women, and three elephants”.
It requested that all places where elephants were used use mechanical or other lifelike elephants instead of real elephants.
In Kerela, elephants are an integral part of temple festivals. But the temple authorities of the Irinjadappilly Sri Krishna Temple hope to see other temples also replace live elephants for performing rituals.
