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A temple in Kerala has been upgraded to a life-size robotic elephant in a nod to the abandonment of the custom of deploying captive animals during festivals and rituals. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and actor Parvathy Thiruvothu stepped in as sponsors to donate ₹5 lakh 'robot elephant' to Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur. Constructed of an iron frame and covered in rubber, the mechanized “animal” weighs 800 kg and stands approximately 11 feet tall. "GIANT NEWS! Kerala's Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple will use a realistic mechanical elephant to perform rituals, allowing the real elephants to stay with their families in the wild," PETA India's official Twitter account wrote. Christened 'Irinjadappilly Raman', the 'elephant' even underwent the usual ritual - 'Nadayiruthal' - of offering animals to the temple gods. The animal was draped in ornamental blankets for the ceremony, similar to the induction of a real elephant.
The "mahout" or operator can operate the robot's trunk, which comes with five electric motors, with a switch. The animal rights organization praised the "humane festivals" initiative that encourages the rehabilitation of captive elephants.
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Capable of carrying five people at a time, the machine was created by Thrissur-based artists, who were engaged in the production of elephant statues for the Dubai shopping festival.
"Indian film actress Parvathy Thiruvothu has lent her support to PETA India by showcasing this innovative solution that will spare real elephants a life of being separated from their families and homes in the forest, deprived of all that is natural and important to them and kept constantly chained, lame and lonely," PETA said in a statement. It also added data from the Heritage Animal Task Force on elephants, frustrated by captivity, that killed nearly 526 people in 15 years in Kerala.
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Temple priest Rajkumar Namboothiri, in a statement quoted by Indian Express, said the temple had decided to give up hiring captive elephants due to their exorbitant fees and an increase in the number of animals that have turned violent. He urged other temples to follow suit.
On Sunday, PETA sent pop star Rihanna a faux fur coat after she wore an allegedly real one, urging her to stop using animal products.
