Kerala temple gets life-size mechanical elephant

TRIVANDRUM: Actor Adah Sharma and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India have donated a mechanical elephant, Baladasan, to the Pournami Kavu Temple in the city.

This is the third temple to get a life-size mechanical elephant to perform rituals in Kerala, replacing live ones that oten spark friction with animal lovers.

These devices are around 10 feet tall and weigh 800 kg with electric-powered heads, eyes, mouths, ears and tails and can carry around four people.

In March, film star Priyamani donated Mahadevan to the Thrikkayil Mahadeva Temple in Kochi in recognition of the temple’s decision never to own or hire a live elephant.

Last year, Parvathy Thiruvothu made headlines for giting a similar one to the Irinjadappilly Sri Krishna Temple in Kerala.

Actors Aindrita Ray and Diganth Manchale donated Shiva to the Jagadguru Sri Veera Simhasana Mahasamsthana Math in Mysore, Karnataka state, in April.

Another one, Shankara Hariharan, is in use at the Sree Sankaran temple in Gudalur, also in Karnataka, donated by Voices for Asian Elephants.

Similarly, Pournami Kavu Temple authorities pledged never to own or hire live elephants and to use Baladasan’s “services” instead.

They said Baladasan will conduct ceremonies at the temple in a “safe and cruelty-free manner, helping real elephants stay with their families in the jungle.”

On Saturday, the temple held an inauguration ceremony, followed by a chenda melam, or beating drums, and a percussion performance.

“Technological progress allows us to preserve our deep cultural traditions and heritage while allowing elephants, who are endangered, to live with their families in the jungle,” said Sharma.

“I am delighted to contribute this mechanical elephant with PETA India, enabling followers to participate in sacred rituals in a manner that is both safe for humans and respecful of animals.”

The temple’s chief administrator, MS Bhuvanachandran, said devotees were happy to honour all “divine creatures who yearn to roam the earth free and secure.”

“We are delighted to welcome Baladhasan to our temple as a representative of all creations of God,” the temple’s president, Ananthapuri Manikandan, said.

The PETA, in a statement, alleged that many elephants in captivity in India, including Kerala, are held illegally or transported to a different state without permission.

“The wild animals who would not willingly obey human commands are trained and controlled through severe punishments, beatings, and the use of weapons with a metal-tipped hook,” it said.