Kerala: A robotic elephant was introduced by a temple in Kerala to perform rituals, such as carrying processional deities. The authorities at Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur district took the initiative as part of their pledge to stop using live animals for any festivities.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India donated the 11-foot-tall ‘robotic elephant’ made of an iron frame and weighing 800 kg, with a rubber coating, to the temple.

Thrissur, Kerala| IIrinjadappilly Sri Krishna temple has introduced an 11-foot robotic elephant weighing 800 kgs for performing rituals. It was donated to temple by PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India). The robotic elephant was named as ‘Irinjadappilly Raman’. pic.twitter.com/4YNTC0aCoy

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2023

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PETA added that this model will assist temples in conducting ceremonies in a safe and cruelty-free manner, furthering the cause of captive elephant rehabilitation.

According to reports, the robotic elephant will be able to carry five people at once, and the mahout (operator here) will be able to control its trunk via a switch. A group of artists from Thrissur created the robotic elephant after supplying elephant statues for the Dubai Shopping Festival.

How temple operates

Namboothiri went on to say that the temple is run by a family that previously hired elephants for festivals. However, due to the high cost of obtaining a pachyderm and the increasing number of incidents of elephants becoming violent during festivals, the temple has discontinued the practice in recent years.

How idea generated 

When temple officials learned that a group of artists was creating elephant statues for the Dubai Shopping Festival, they met with them and asked them to create one based on their suggestions and modifications. Following this, PETA India, which works to end animal cruelty, stepped in with sponsorship. This is how this intriguing concept came to be.

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