Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/KERALA: A controversial elephant in the southern Indian state of Kerala has made headlines again after a local temple bid a record amount for his participation in an annual festival.
Thechikottukavu Ramachandran is frequently referred to as India’s tallest captive elephant, a claim that is challenging to verify independently. What is undeniable about the elephant is that he stands 10.53 feet tall, a majestic, imposing presence that towers over his fellow elephants.
Ramachandran, owned by the Thechikkottukavu temple trust in the Thrissur district, is one of the hundreds of captive elephants in Kerala leased out for temple festivals and other events.
He has thousands of fans – a fan page on Facebook with 122,000 followers that regularly posts photos and updates – and draws large crowds at events.
Elephant known for his violent outbursts
But the elephant is also known for his violent outbursts and critics claim he killed at least 13 people and two elephants over the last four decades.
Thechikkottukavu temple officials, on the other hand, claim that Ramachandran was not the direct cause of these deaths, primarily due to stampedes that erupted after he became agitated due to loud noises and other acts of aggression at events.
Ramachandran is legally blind in his left eye, and animal rights activists argue that he should not be forced to attend public events.
According to Sreedevi S Kartha of the animal welfare organisation ‘People for Animals’, the elephant is the tallest and most handsome of elephants. Seeing him up close is astonishing. But his majestic appearance has also become a curse,” says Sreedevi S Kartha, a welfare worker with People for Animals.
Last week, 35 temple committees competed in an auction for his presence at their festivals, with Sree Vishwanatha Temple in Thrissur winning with a record bid of 675,000 rupees ($8,175; £6,759). Binoy PB, president of the Thechikkottukavu trust, claims that more people visit the temples when Ramachandran is present.
That is why he is in such high demand, he says, adding that excitement has increased significantly following a lull in festivities caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two people died in a stampede after Ramachandran went berserk after crackers were thrown near him in a congested neighbourhood near the famous Guruvayur temple in Thrissur in 2019.
The district administration then barred him from participating in the famous Thrissur Pooram temple festival, which Ramachandran kicks off by symbolically pushing open the massive gates on the southern side of the Vadakkumnathan temple.
Protests of elephant owners
However, after festival organisers, elephant owners, and Ramachandran’s fans protested, the ban was lifted. The Kerala Elephant Owners Federation stated that they would only provide animals for temple festivals if Ramachandran was allowed to participate. The elephant’s health is frequently in the news; in September, the Kerala high court barred Ramachandran from participating in programmes until a committee examined him.
According to MN Jayachandran, an animal rights activist who petitioned the court on cruelty grounds, the committee was formed and it has been decided to parade Ramachandran only twice a month.
Following that, a government order allowed the elephant to participate in parades twice a week. According to him, the court also ordered four mahouts to be stationed around the elephant to ensure he did not come into contact with any crowds.
Ramachandran, as per Jayachandran, is not only blind in one eye but also losing vision in the other as he ages. However, the elephant’s supporters claim that he is in good health. Dr Giridas PB, Ramachandran’s veterinarian and a member of the state’s Animal Welfare Board, stated that the other eye is now fine.
According to government regulations, elephants must retire at 65, but Ramachandran is only 57. He also claims that Ramachandran has not harm anyone.
Temple officials also claim that too much emphasis is placed on the revenue Ramachandran generates and that a significant portion of it is spent on his upkeep, including food and the salaries of his carers.
Binoy from the Thechikkottukavu trust stated that in the last three years alone, they have spent nearly two million rupees on his care, even though they could not earn money from temple festivities due to Covid-19. Others, however, contend that the elephant’s rights are being violated.
