The grand annual festival of the century-old Sree Kumaramangalam Subramanyaswamy temple in Kumarakom will not feature caparisoned elephants this year. Instead, the committee will introduce a chariot. This is the first time in the temple festival's history that the jumbo parade has been excluded.

The temple management committee decided in the wake of soaring concerns over people's safety and the elephants' welfare. The Kumarakom temple festival will be held from March 3 to 10. Ever since Sree Narayana Guru consecrated the idol in 1903, elephants have been an integral part of the temple festival. The parade of caparisoned elephants was held throughout the festival.

Till a few years ago, the festival would feature three to four elephants; however, an untoward incident involving a jumbo claimed a life during the festival once, and the number of elephants was reduced to one. "We decided not to have elephants for the festival because of the soaring temperature. Also, there are concerns over public safety, especially in the wake of a recent incident in Kozhikode. Instead of an elephant, we will introduce a chariot on all festival days," said temple committee secretary Anandakuttan KP. He said the panel approved the decision unanimously.

Three people died and over 35 got injured on February 13  after the elephants ran amok on the final day of the festival at Koyilandy in Kozhikode. In a recent Facebook post, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alerted the people about the rising temperatures in the state.

The State Disaster Management Authority has also issued warnings about a temperature rise of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal in certain areas. Elephant lovers have long advocated the need to avoid jumbos for temple parades, considering the stress the animals are put through.

In October 2024, the Kerala High Court called parading elephants at temple festivals and other functions "extreme cruelty," condemning the act of tightly binding their feet and forcing them to stand in one spot for extended periods.