Actress Parvati Nair donated a life-like mechanical elephant to Sree Balabhadrapur Temple in Kerala, on Monday.
Speaking to us exclusively, Parvati explains the pressing need for such innovations. “Elephants are highly intelligent creatures who belong in the wild, free with their families. Forcing them into rituals and festivities frustrates and harms them, often leading to tragic incidents,” she says, referring to recent elephant attacks in Kerala that have claimed several lives this year.
The Sree Balabhadrapur Temple, a 350-year-old institution, stopped using live elephants in 2018 due to concerns over animal cruelty.
“This mechanical elephant, named Devi Dasan, ensures that the temple can continue its sacred traditions without exploiting animals. It closely resembles a real one, performs rituals with precision while eliminating risks to both humans and animals,” she elaborates.
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