ELEPHANTS & THE FESTIVAL SEASON

By the last quarter of every year, the festivals in temples and churches in Kerala start and it goes on for the next 6 months. With tens of thousands of temples and churches around in Kerala, we see very high level of ostentatious rituals in these places that necessarily include ‘ghoshayatras (processions)’ and ‘talapolis’ around the place of worship. The inhabitants of these places celebrate in style, both individually and collectively. Kith and kin of these people employed at different places in the country and the world, takes vacation to participate in these endeavors. Year on year, the size and substance of this practice is only going up. More money, more programs, more sponsorship and more entertainments happen every year. Many a time, it also becomes a show of strength between families or “karakkars (local inhabitants)” and big time rivalries germinate during festivals too.

Whereas in churches the usage of elephants in procession is minimal, it is in Hindu temples that we see such acts in abundance. During the procession, the idol is taken out for ‘nadukanal (city dasrshan)’ or for people to do the ritual of “parrayidil”. The God’s effigy is taken out on the top of the tuskers and it is such a pitiable site to see the dressed up elephant being taken out with all the drums, bugles and noises around it. Please do understand that these are indeed hot, humid and dusty times and it is truly irritating for this big animal to undergo such hardships, which actually could be termed as torture. No wonder, the animal rebels and lately, every day we hear of mishaps happening due to the irritated misbehavior of the tuskers.  Another major case is the display multitudes of fully dressed up (Nettippattom, Alavattom & Venchamaram) elephants inside temple premises, standing for the whole night with so much local instruments blaring around them, with huge fireworks in the background and with thousands of people staring at it at close vicinity. What is to be noted is that these animals are not allowed to rest for close to six months as they are being taken from one festival to another every day, being punished by mahouts when they fail to obey instructions. The sleeplessness, fatigue, irritation, punishment and noise cause them to break loose the chains and run amok.  Being a huge animal, normally people cannot stand to face its wrath and thus many a death happen due to the goring by elephants or due the stampede that happen as a result.

The funny thing is that in spite such continuous mishaps; there is no attempt from the authorities to clamp down the elephant processions. Even PETA or the ‘Society for Prevention of Cruelty against Animals’ keeps their mouth shut. Politicians are afraid that if such a regulation happens, it is the loss massive vote bank for them as the people feel their right to celebration is taken away. Even if there are court orders as a result of public interest litigation, authorities shy away from implementing the same. The result is that so much of money gets wasted on these rituals and so much of deaths and accidents happen every year. The world moves on, unperturbed…..

It is high time that the government banned the usage of elephants in temple festivals and public processions. By doing so, we are really helping to stop the torturing of animals. Even the Gods whom we are trying to please by doing such rituals will not like to see the sufferings of these mute animals. Will the Gods be less impressed if their idols are taken in a vehicle instead of elephants? By the way, our Scriptures, Holy books, Puranas, Vedas and Upanishads do not site any instance of tuskers being used in temple processions. Yes, elephants were used in war, rightly so but not for carrying effigies and idols. We need to look at these things rationally not emotionally or religiously and decide to do away with rituals and practices that put so much of hardships to these silently suffering creatures.