Robotic elephants to replace captive ones at Cherthala temples

Kottayam: Now, robotic elephants will replace live captive elephants during festivals and other ceremonies at two temples in Cherthala in Alappuzha. Neelamkulangara Vishnudasan and Omkareswaram Rama Senapathy are the robotic elephants that replaced live elephants in Panavally Neelamkulangara Sree Narayana Vilasam Sree Maha Vishnu Kshethram and Omkareswaram Sree Rama Subrahmanya Temple in Cherthala, respectively. On Thursday, both elephants entered their respective temples amid traditional music, rituals and vibrant celebrations. Standing 10 feet tall and weighing 500 kilograms each, the robotic elephants are crafted from fibre and rubber for a lifelike presence. Their eyes, ears, trunk and tail move electronically, and they safely carry up to four people during rituals and processions. The elephants were sponsored by Voices for Asian Elephants Society (VFAES). Designed by Four He-Arts Creations in Chalakudy under artist Prasanth Prakash, these are the third and fourth robotic elephants commissioned by VFAES, signalling a growing humane temple movement across south India. The initiative allows temples to honour age-old traditions while eliminating the suffering, stress and serious public safety risks long associated with parading elephants. "Young elephants in the prime of their lives are dying, at an age when in the wild they would be mating, leading and strengthening family bonds. The recent stampede involving Thechikkotu Ramachandran, along with the tragic death of a mahout in a separate incident, underscores the urgent need for meaningful reform," said Sangita Iyer, founder and managing director of VFAES. P R Purushan, president of the temple advisory committee of Panavally Neelamkulangara Sree Narayana Vilasam Sree Maha Vishnu Kshethram, expressed gratitude towards VFAES for its efforts. "Elephants and fireworks have long been cherished parts of our temple festivals. But we proudly chose to exclude both, prioritizing safety and ethics," he said. N R Surendran, temple advisory committee president at Omkareswaram Sree Rama Subrahmanya Temple, echoed similar sentiments. "We are thrilled to see growing awareness among temples about the ethical issues and safety risks of using live elephants," said Surendran.