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PETA India, Anoushka Shankar gift mechanical elephant to Kerala temple to promote cruelty-free traditions

Made using rubber, fiber, metal, foam, and steel, the mechanical elephant is designed to closely mimic a real one.

PETA India gift mechanical elephant to Kerala temple

Kombara Sreekrishna Swami temple in Kerala’s Thrissur, recently welcomed Kombara Kannan, a life-size mechanical elephant that offers a humane alternative to live elephants traditionally used in temple rituals. Donated by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar, the mechanical elephant is three-metre-tall and weighs 800 kilos.

Unveiled by Satish Vimalan, secretary of Unnayi Variyar Memorial Kalanilayam, Kombara Kannan is the fifth robotic elephant gifted to a Kerala temple by PETA India and the second in Thrissur district. In a statement, PETA India said that replacing live elephants “spares them the suffering of being constantly chained, controlled with weapons, and deprived of everything natural and important to them.”

Made using rubber, fiber, metal, foam, and steel, the mechanical elephant is designed to closely mimic a real one. It can move its head, ears, and eyes, swish its tail, raise its trunk, and even spray water. Mounted on a wheelbase, it can even take part in temple processions and rituals, preserving tradition while ensuring the well-being of real elephants.

#WATCH | Thrissur, Kerala: Sitarist Anoushka Shankar and PETA India donated a life-size mechanical elephant, Kombara Kannan, to the Kombara Sreekrishna Swami Temple in Thrissur, to conduct ceremonies without using real elephants. pic.twitter.com/Q3m5rtn1jS

— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2025

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Ravi Namboothiri, Kombara Sreekrishna Swami temple’s president, told ANI, “We are delighted to welcome Kombara Kannan to our temple. We strongly believe that real elephants are ill-treated during festivals. Thanks to PETA for giving us a mechanical elephant.”