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March 21, 2010

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Stop Parading Elephants in Kerala Temples and Save the Poor

Animals<http://www.hindu-blog.com/2009/02/stop-parading-elephants-in-kerala.html\

>

Major Hindu Temple festival season in Kerala begins by January mid-week and

ends in April. And this is the cruelest and toughest period for the living

representatives of Lord Ganesha, one of the most popular deities in Hindu

pantheon. More than 400 captured elephants in Kerala that are trained to

perform duties during temple festivities are paraded in the numerous temples

in the scorching sun during this period. Interestingly, it is not written in

Hindu scriptures that

<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OrPiYD1RcAs/SZO1kISuH8I/AAAAAAAADxY/OCQSwnJHplw/s1600\

-h/elephant-parade.jpg>elephants

should be part of temple festivals. In fact Ganesha symbolizes that man and

animals (all animate and inanimate) are nothing but Brahman – the Supreme

Being.

Caparisoned elephants are paraded to satisfy the egos of the temple

committee members and to gain superiority over the temple in the next

village or town. Thanks to the tourist promotion campaign ran by the

Government of Kerala, caparisoned elephants are one of the biggest

attractions in the state.

Elephants killing people during temple festivals is now a common phenomenon

in Kerala and live footage of elephants crushing people and venting its fury

is aired live by regional Malayalam channels and is soon watched by millions

around the world on Youtube.

February to May is the hottest period in Kerala and it is the time when

most of the temple festivals are held. The poor elephants are made to stand

in scorching sun for hours with all the embellishments – for majority of the

temples it is impossible to think about a temple festival without the

caparisoned elephants.

Nearly 30 to 50% of a temple’s festival budget is spent on elephants. A

recent study indicates that the temples in Kerala have to shell out Rs

25,000 to Rs 100,000 per day as fee for a single elephant. This when

thousands of Hindus are homeless and jobless in the state.

The elephant owners make use of the festival season to make maximum gains by

transporting elephants from one place to another without a break. Sometimes

the poor elephants are made to walk on tarred roads for hours in the hot

sun. The hot melting tar sticks to the feet of the poor elephants and if the

poor animals stop or show dissent they are tortured by the mahouts.

The reasons for elephants going amok and killing people during festivals

are:

-

<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OrPiYD1RcAs/SZO1kHxyz2I/AAAAAAAADxQ/SB3J2fdL-yM/s1600\

-h/elephant-killings.jpg>The

unbearable heat during the peak summer season in Kerala (February – May).

- Most elephants are immobilized by chains which often create wounds on

the legs of the elephants.

- Standing from early morning to long after midnight with the idol of the

presiding deity.

- The sound, the heat and the humidity that the temple festival generates

through the numerous rituals, fireworks and other activities.

- Undisciplined crowd that the temple festival attracts.

- The torture of animals by mahouts and owners.

- Lack of rest and proper food.

- Making the elephants walk for long hours in the hot sun creating

blisters.

- Walking through traffic, congested roads and trampling on sharp

objects.

- Lack of proper treatment.

There are written laws in Kerala against animal cruelty – one such law says

it is mandatory for elephants to have at least 12 hours of rest after

parading for five hours. They should be given five hours of rest after

traveling.

<http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OrPiYD1RcAs/SZO1kQJ8FDI/AAAAAAAADxg/aTO6yG_V7wA/s1600\

-h/elephant-parade1.jpg>But

such laws are never followed in Kerala, which perhaps has the maximum number

of elephant lovers in the world. There is also an Elephant Lovers’

Association in the state and there is an ever vigilant print and television

media. But elephants continue to be tortured and killed. Elephants continue

to run amok and crush poor devotees to death.

There are some positive movements against the cruelty like the

Kanichukulangara Devi Temple in Alappuzha this year broke away from

tradition and decided that the idol of the Goddess would not be mounted on

the back of a poor elephant. Interestingly, here the Devaprashnam conducted

to know the mind of the Goddess suggested that the Goddess was angry at

torturing the poor elephants.

The solution perhaps to saving the poor giants is with Hindu devotees. Stop

donating to temples that parade elephants. Once the cash flow stops, the

parading of elephants will be first item removed from the festival

itinerary.

Posted by abhilash on

12.2.09<http://www.hindu-blog.com/2009/02/stop-parading-elephants-in-kerala.html\

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4 comments:

<http://www.blogger.com/profile/06167301189296622740>

aviva <http://www.blogger.com/profile/06167301189296622740> said...

Namaste and thank you for this article

Please tell us the address of the Kerela RSPCA or other organisations

fighting animal cruelty

I am amazed that in Kerela, where there ois 100% literacy, that the people

allow this horrible state of affairs - please help us to DO something about

it please

I'v written several times to you but you never yet replied! Is it my

non-hindu name? Please reply this time we all need to HELP END ELEPHANT

TORTURE NOW! tHANK YOU!

hacienda7

February 13, 2009 3:34 AM

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mment=1234476240000#c8635344682212319242>

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44682212319242>

<http://www.blogger.com/profile/06167301189296622740>

aviva <http://www.blogger.com/profile/06167301189296622740> said...

Namaste

please tell us the addresses of the Indian/Kerela RSPCA or other Orgs that

fight animal cruelty so that your readers can write to them and DO

something!

Thanks so much for telling us.

This reflects very badly on the Hindu religion and India. Thank you

February 13, 2009 3:38 AM

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mment=1234476480000#c1745609670593104568>

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09670593104568>

<http://www.blogger.com/profile/12599598963628409729>

Gayatri Jaya Sankar

<http://www.blogger.com/profile/12599598963628409729>said...

I think more than the State Government's intereference, the Cebtral

Government must take serious against all those who torture animals in the

name of religious rituals. We must condemn such an act. Where are those

Ministers who are entrusted with the job of taking care of all species of

life? Let us all make a loud noise about it so that such insane acts are not

repeated.

April 29, 2009 1:28 PM

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mment=1240991880000#c4492561544503682863>

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61544503682863>

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pulsespa <http://www.blogger.com/profile/14439501342103417889> said...

Namasthe Abhilash,

Accidentally found ur site. worth to read at this time of pragmatism at its

peak. I share ur feelings especially in this 'elephant related' article.

Like to keep in touch with u. pls visit our new e-magazine scrollIndia.com,

in which we have a category 'Heritage zone' with which i think u can also

contribute something.

Regards,

Sreeja Raman

February 1, 2010 1:51 PM

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