Thrissur temple to get a robotic elephant

THRISSUR: A robotic elephant will be offered to the Irinjadapilli Sree Krishna Temple at Kallettumkara near Irinjalakuda, reportedly for the first time in the state.
The robotic elephant with a height of 11ft and weighing 800kg has been made using an iron frame with rubber coating. The elephant has been offered by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India to the temple owned by the Irinjadapilli family.
According to Rajkumar Namboothiri of the Irinjadapilli family, this elephant can wag its tails and ears just like the living ones. It can also spew water through its trunk when the mahout presses a switch. Electric motors have been fitted inside the robotic elephant for these functions.
The elephant has been built at a cost of Rs 5 lakh. Four people can sit atop the elephant for the usual temple processions.
The temple office-bearers said they have undertaken such a step to avoid the various risks and costs involved in maintaining and parading live elephants. They said they also wanted to avoid torturing of live elephants, and they hoped this could be a pioneering initiative to be emulated by other temples.
The elephant to be christened as 'Irinjadappilli Raman' will be formally offered to the temple on February 26.