Indian temples are ready to swap their sacred elephant for a robot in Kerala.
Image credit: Indus Scrolls
A robotic elephant has been used by a temple in Kerala, a state in India, to perform its rites. The decision to stop using live animals for any celebrations was made by the administration at the Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in the Thrissur district.
“Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu” and “People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)” India donated the model. In doing so, they aimed to facilitate holding events without resorting to harshness.
Kerala is home to approximately a fifth of the nation’s 2,500 elephants. They are shackled, saddled, and accessorised by people for their significant role in temple festivals there.
Concerns concerning the treatment of animals have been raised by activists for years. 138 captive elephants perished in Kerala between 2018 and 2023, according to a letter sent last week by the Centre for Research on Animal Rights to the state’s chief minister concerning the increasing death of the creature.
PETA encouraged all temples in the state to switch to realistic robotic elephants in a statement released on Monday, claiming that treating live elephants to extremely loud sounds during festivities was cruel. The group continued, “It’s about time we took greater and more significant steps to halt this maltreatment and allow animals to live respectful and honourable lives.”
The robotic elephant model supplied by PETA is 11 feet (3.3 metres) tall, weighs 800 kilograms, and has an iron structure.
The Indian Express newspaper was informed by temple priest Rajkumar Namboothiri that the officials were pleased to receive the robotic elephant.
Mr. Namboothiri expressed the hope that other temples might consider using robotic elephants in place of real ones during rituals.
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