A temple in the southern Indian state of Kerala has introduced a mechanical giant to conduct its rituals. The action by authorities at Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur quarter is part of their pledge to stop using live creatures for any fests. The model was bestowed by People for Ethical Treatment of (PETA) India and actress Parvathy Thiruvothu.
They hoped this would help in holding events “in an atrocity-free manner”. For times, beast weal activists have flagged enterprises about their treatment. The Centre for Research on Animal Rights last week wrote to the state’s chief minister about the increased mortality of the mammal, saying 138 elephants had died in Kerala between 2018 and 2023. In a statement issued on Monday, PETA said that subjugating live elephants to extreme loud noises during carnivals was “cruel” and prompted all temples in the state to switch to naturalistic mechanical mammoths. “It’s high time we made stronger and further poignant strides towards stopping similar abuse and letting creatures have regardful and staid lives,” the organisation added.
The giant model bestowed by PETA is 11 ft (3.3 m) altitudinous, weighs 800 kg (1763.7 lbs) and is made of an iron frame. Temple clerk Rajkumar Namboothiri told that authorities were happy to admit the mechanical giant. This robotic giant can wag its tails and cognizance just like the living bones. It can also spew water through its box when the mahout presses the switch for this. Electric motors have been fitted inside the robot giant for these functions. The elephant has been erected at a cost of Rs 5 lakh. Four people can sit atop the giant.
PETA India, in a statement, said, “The frustration of prison leads elephants to develop and display abnormal geste. At their wit’s end, frustrated elephants frequently snap and try to break free, running frantically and so harming humans, other creatures, and property. According to numbers collected by the Heritage Animal Task Force, interned mammoths killed 526 people in Kerala in a 15- time period. The chikkattukavu Ramachandran, who has been held interned for about 40 times and is one of the most frequently used mammoths in Kerala’s jubilee circuit, has reportedly killed 13 individuals, four women, and three elephant”.