Rajkumar Namboothiri, member of Irinjadappilly Mana, which manages the Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple, along with the robotic elephant Irinjadappilly Raman.
Irinjadappilly Raman, Kerala’s first Robitic elephant, was offered to Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple at a colourful ceremony on Sunday. The Nadayiruthal ceremony was followed by percussion ensemble led by Peruvanam Satheesan Marar.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India donated the life-sized robotic elephant. Cine actor Parvathy Thiruvothu joined hand with the PETA in the campaign for cruelty-free festivals using elephants like Irinjadappilly Raman.
Raman will help in conducting ceremonies at the temple in a safe and cruelty-free manner and thereby support real elephants’ rehabilitation by ending the horror of their captivity, say PETA sources. Subjecting live elephants to the extreme loudness of the percussion and fireworks is cruel, as they are distressing for live elephants, they added.
“In this day and age, we have access to understanding what animals are forced to endure when humans use them for entertainment. It’s high time we made stronger and more impactful strides towards stopping such abuse and letting animals have respectful and dignified lives,” said Ms. Thiruvothu. “I’m delighted to support PETA India in helping Sree Krishna temple worshippers experience the joy and sanctity of religious functions in an cruel-free, exciting, modern, and conscientious manner, ” she added.
Rajkumar Namboothiri, member of Irinjadappilly Mana, which manages the temple, says, “We are extremely happy and grateful to receive this robotic elephant, which will help us to conduct our rituals and festivals in a cruelty-free way, and we hope that other temples will also think about replacing live elephants for rituals.”
Most elephants in captivity in the country are being held illegally or have been transported to a different State without permission. The elephants are trained and controlled through severe punishments, beatings, and the use of weapons with a metal-tipped hook. Many have extremely painful foot ailments and leg wounds from being chained to concrete for hours on end, and most do not get adequate food, water, or veterinary care. The frustration of captivity leads elephants to develop and display abnormal behaviour, according to PETA sources.
