Latest news with #PeopleforCattleinIndia
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Mechanical elephant ‘Gaja' gifted to temples in Aruppukottai
Chennai-based NGO People for Cattle in India and actress Trisha Krishnan donated a life-sized mechanical elephant named Gaja to Sri Ashtalinga Athisesha Selva Vinayagar and Sri Ashtabhuja Athisesha Varahi Amman Temples in Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district. According to a press release, the initiative marked the first instance in Madurai region and Virudhunagar district where a temple embraced a mechanical elephant for religious ceremonies. Gaja, a meticulously designed mechanical elephant, is set to participate in temple rituals, offering a humane alternative to the traditional use of elephants. Additional Superintendent of Police Mathivanan unveiled the mechanical elephant Gaja. Gaja was introduced on the auspicious occasion of the Kumbabishekam festival at the temples. PFCI facilitated the donation to recognise the temples commitment to abstain from owning or hiring elephants, reflecting a broader movement towards cruelty-free religious practices. By integrating technology with tradition, these temples set a precedent for compassionate worship, inspiring others to follow suit. This move aligns with a growing trend across South India, where temples adopt mechanical elephants to uphold cultural practices while ensuring animal welfare. The world's first mechanical elephant, named Irinjadappilly Raman, was introduced at a temple in Kerala in 2023 by PETA India, the press release said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Robotic jumbo gifted by Trisha debuts at Aruppukottai temples
Chennai: The kumbhabhishekam festival is on at the Sri Ashtalinga Athisesha Selva Vinayagar temple and the Sri Ashtabhuja Athisesha Varahi Amman Temples in Aruppukottai, after a gap of 24 years. The ceremony involves the new temple elephant Gaja carrying a pot of water from a nearby river to present to the idol at the temple. A life-sized Gaja's head is shaking, his ears flapping and his eyes are moving, but a closer look would reveal that he is not walking, but being wheeled. Gaja is a mechanical elephant made of fibre and silicon and powered by electricity, a generous gift to the temples from actor Trisha Krishnan and other donors. Many temples keep wild elephants captive but in any restrictive and confined atmosphere, they go through immense psychological trauma and stress, says Ananda Kumar, senior scientist, nature conservation foundation. "Ideally, wild elephants should be phased out from all such ceremonies, but any move replacing them is welcome." There have been countless instances, especially in the neighbouring state of Kerala, of elephants running wild amid processions and killing its own mahouts as well as spectators. "The temple authorities emrbaced the idea since even children can be around them safely," says Arun Prasanna, of the Chennai-based NGO People for Cattle in India (PCI), which works for captive elephants and is associated with this initiative. This initiative marks the first instance in the Madurai region - and the entire Virudhunagar district. "Devotion shines brightest when it's rooted in compassion," said Trisha, on the occasion.
