Robot elephants replace live elephants in southern temples

Anyo Route (English), Travel News, 03/03/2023 : This is the first time that a robot elephant will be used instead of a live elephant in a temple in South India. Like a living elephant, he will participate in temple ceremonies.

This is a novel attempt. Temples in South India have the custom of donating elephants or other animals. The elephants on the right become deities and are reared at the behest of temple students. At different times of the year, the elephants participate in the puja parbans and events held in the temple, they are presented in impressive costumes. Elephants also participate in processions.

People's for Ethical Treatment of Animals India or 'PETA' has been protesting against the use of animals in this way for a long time. This time an elephant robot was given to the Irindrijapalli Sri Krishna temple in Thrissur district by the initiative of the animal organization PETA. The 800 kg, 11 feet tall robot elephant will behave like a real elephant. The name of the robot elephant is Irindrijapalli Raman. A huge crowd has already started gathering in the temple premises to see the robot elephant. Now the real elephants will be free, they will return to their real abode in the lap of green forest.