HATF decries parading of elephant for temple fete

Parading of a captive elephant for the Sabarimala arat procession and the hurtling down of the pachyderm while descending a slope on Friday have exposed the high risk involved in the parading of elephants for temple festivals.

As many as 12 persons, including a a priest who was sitting atop of the elephant, were injured in the melee.

The Thrissur-based Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF) called upon the government and the Director of Project Tiger in New Delhi to take immediate steps to ban parading of captive elephants for temple ceremonies and other functions at Sabarimala situated in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

Letter to Project Tiger Director

In a letter to the Project Tiger Director, HATF secretary V.K. Venkitachalam said the Kerala High Court had imposed a ban on use of elephants for festival processions at Sabarimala during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival following the death of a woman devotee in 2016.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had to do away with the practice following the incident.

Replacing the elephant, the deity was taken out in a procession in a Jeevitha (palanquin-type carriage) during the Vilakkinezhunnellippu procession later and the system continued in the later years too. Mr. Venkitachalam said the TDB should have replaced the captive elephant with the Jeevitha for the arat ceremony too in view of the dangers involved in parading the elephant in the procession.

According to him, January to April are unfavourable months for captive elephants in Kerala when temples in the State celebrate annual festivals.

Parading of elephants along the prickly hot black-top roads for hours together is a painful sight.

Elephants turning violent during ceremonial processions has also become a regular feature during these festival months, he said.

Action sought

Mr. Venkitachalam said the Animal Welfare Board of India and the government should take action against those failing to implement elephant parading rules.