A pachyderm with a dark, gleaming coat and handsomely proportioned ears is all the news at the Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in Kerala’s Thrissur district. Irinjadappilly Raman, as he is known, is an 800-kilo, 11-foot “robotic elephant”, made of an iron frame and rubber coat. He was donated to the temple by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India along with actor Parvathy Thiruvothu. The temple authorities have welcomed the new addition and at Raman’s Nadayiruthal ceremony (in which elephants are dedicated or offered to the deity), reportedly many more people turned up to catch a glimpse of the robot elephant than to pray. For some time, at least, it seems like Raman will be the cynosure of all eyes in and around Irinjadappilly and both the donors and the temple are hoping that his example would encourage other temples around the state to use robot elephants as well.
This may not be so simple. While there is little doubt that captive elephants are all too frequently subjected to abuse — in a statement, PETA expressed the hope that Raman’s use will show more temples that it is possible to have “cruelty-free” ceremonies — the state’s temples have used the animals for ritual purposes for so long that they’re now considered integral to the ceremonies. This is besides the deep emotional resonance that elephants have in a state where their grace and beauty is eulogised in song and poetry, and individual animals are big enough celebrities to have their own fandoms.
In appearance, Raman is surprisingly like the flesh-and-blood originals. But once the novelty wears off, would devotees still be willing to accept blessings from a mechanical elephant? Stricter action against abuse is needed, as is wider dissemination of the message that rituals can and do change over time. Elephants should perhaps be spared the trouble of standing for hours at a time amidst the loud music and crowds at temple ceremonies and festivals.
This editorial first appeared in the print edition on March 3, 2023, under the title, ‘All eyes on Raman’
