In an effort to replace live elephants in temple ceremonies and undermine Hindu religious practices and rituals, Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar and PETA India have donated a life-size mechanical elephant to the Kombara Sreekrishna Swami Temple in Thrissur. This move comes after the temple made a commitment to never keep or hire real elephants for its religious rituals.
The three-meter-tall mechanical elephant, named Kombara Kannan, weighs 800 kilograms and was unveiled at the temple on Wednesday. The event was attended by Satish Vimalan, secretary of the Unnayi Variyar Memorial Kalanilayam.
#WATCH | Thrissur, Kerala: Sitarist Anoushka Shankar and PETA India donated a life-size mechanical elephant, Kombara Kannan, to the Kombara Sreekrishna Swami Temple in Thrissur, to conduct ceremonies without using real elephants. pic.twitter.com/Q3m5rtn1jS
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2025
Ravi Namboothiri, president of the temple, expressed his approval of the donation, saying, “We are delighted to welcome Kombara Kannan to our temple. We strongly believe that real elephants are ill-treated during festivals.”
This marks the fifth mechanical elephant that PETA India has donated to temples in Kerala, and the second in Thrissur district. The organization has also recently offered to provide a mechanical elephant to a mosque in Malappuram for use in its religious ceremonies.
The mechanical elephants are designed to mimic the movements of real elephants and are constructed from materials such as rubber, fibre, metal, mesh, foam, and steel. They run on five motors, offering a substitute for live elephants in temple rituals. PETA India has emphasized that the use of mechanical elephants would allow real elephants to remain in their natural habitats, free from captivity, chains, and mistreatment.
Despite the donation, concerns over the suitability of using mechanical elephants in religious traditions have been raised, as the move challenges long-established practices. Some view it as an attempt to influence Hindu rituals and temple customs, which have traditionally involved the use of real elephants.
(With inputs from Mathrubhumi)
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