A mechanical, lifelike elephant was employed for rites at the Irinjadappilly Sri Krishna Temple in Kerala’s Thrissur region, marking a first. With the help of the actor Parvathy Thiruvothu, PETA India donated the elephant to the temple.
Irinjadapilly Raman, the eponymous lifelike mechanical elephant, stands 10 and a half feet tall and weighs 800 kg. It can fit four persons comfortably. Electricity powers the elephant’s head, eyes, mouth, ears, and tail.
PETA India developed the artificial elephant in response to the temple’s request that no elephants or other animals ever be kept or hired for rituals, celebrations, or any other purpose.
Irinjadappilly Raman’s “Nadayiruthal” ceremony, in which elephants are offered to the gods, took place on Sunday.
In a statement, PETA India said: “Elephants who are kept in captivity experience frustration, which causes them to change their behaviour. Elephants who are at their wits’ end frequently snap and attempt to escape, running amok and inflicting harm on people, other animals, and property. The Heritage Animal Task Group produced statistics showing that over a 15-year period, captive elephants in Kerala killed 526 people. According to reports, the chikkattukavu Ramachandran, one of Kerala’s most popular festival elephants who has been kept in captivity for almost 40 years, has killed 13 people, including six mahouts, four ladies, and three elephants “.
It demanded that all locations and activities that now use elephants adapt to lifelike mechanical elephants or other alternatives.
Elephants are frequently regarded as being necessary for Kerala’s temple celebrations. The Irinjadappilly Sri Krishna Temple’s administrators do, however, hope that other temples will eventually stop using live elephants in their rituals.
ALSO READ: Kasturba Gandhi Death Anniversary: 8 lesser-known facts
