THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Starting a new tradition, a temple in Kerala has said no to the customary parading of elephants. Hailing the move, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi sent a letter of appreciation to the authorities who were so touched, they framed the letter.
Elephants are decorated and paraded in Kerala, and the event has made a massive part of the state's culture. However, the Koikal Palliyara Bhagavati Temple decided to defy tradition and for good reason. Using elephants for their annual processions since 1980, the temple committee decided their idols will be carried on ornate palanquins and not elephants, for which nearly Rs 150,000 was also pitched in. Head of the temple renovation committee, Ramachandran Pillai said, “Elephants brought to us used to be so tired and cruelly treated by their mahouts. Government rules were not followed and many NGOs kept inspiring us to bring in the change. We were also concerned about the safety of the devotees.” An elephant, earlier this year, had gone on a rampage during a temple festival in Palakkad, injuring over 70 and causing damages worth millions of rupees.
An industry standing on its own, an elephant is hired at a minimum cost of Rs 25,000 for 12 hours. The temple authorities recollected an incident where an elephant hired by them for 12 hours was handed over to them straight after being put in service for 10 hours in a complete violation of government regulations. Temple priest Kesavan Namboodhiri says, “Small temples should not have a problem in doing away with the tradition... They don't have elaborate kind of customs it's also financially draining. But to do away with elephants in the grander temples may be difficult because of their scale of customs.”
