Why was elephant dedicated to Sree Padmanabha during 'lakshadeepam' a pint-sized gold replica and not real

Thiruvananthapuram: The 56-day 'murajapam' or the non-stop recital of vedas that happens every six years at Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple culminated on January 15 with the glorious chorus of lights, the kindling of a lakh lamps called 'lakshadeepam'. There is yet another ritual spectacle that usually marks the climax of the 'murajapam': the dedication of a she-elephant to the deity.

But this time, instead of a royal 4000-kg female giant, it was a palm-sized gold replica of a she-elephant that was dedicated. A gold dummy of the mahout's stick was also offered along with the pint-sized elephant.

"This is the only option we have if there is no real elephant to be offered," said Adithya Varma, the scion of the erstwhile Travancore royal family and also a member of the temple's Administrative Committee.

"We did have a donor but the inter-state transfer of the elephant turned out to be extremely complicated," Varma said. The elephant identified for dedication belongs to Assam. "Its transfer was difficult as the Forest Department is extremely rigorous about the ownership certificate and other documents of the animal," Varma said.

The Temple had two she-elephants, both dedicated during earlier 'murajapams'. One of them, Darshini, had died in 2021. Darshini was dedicated to the temple over half a century ago by no less a person than the last king of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. "Now there is just Sudarshini, and so we have space for one more," Varma said.

Aanakotta and curse of ownership
Unfortunately for Sudarshini, it looks like her loneliness will not come to an end any time soon. "It will be nearly impossible for anyone to donate an elephant to a temple anymore. Over 90 per cent of captive elephants in the country have no valid ownership certificate. An elephant donor will have to reveal the source, which I don't think anyone can without getting into trouble," said M N Jayachandran, president of the Society for Protection of Cruelty Against Animals (SPCA), Idukki.

The unavailability of captive elephants with proper ownership certificates has already shrunk the elephant population in Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple's elephant sanctuary Punnathur Kotta. A decade-and-a-half ago there were 65 elephants in the 'aanakotta'. Now, just 35.

The dedication of elephants is a major offering at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple. But in the last decade, not a single elephant, in flesh and blood, has been offered by devotees. There have only been 'symbolic' dedications. An elephant from Punnathur Kotta will stand in as the 'dupe' for the tribute elephant that is only in the imagination.

"A devotee wishing to offer an elephant will now only have to deposit ₹10 lakh, and the temple will conduct all the necessary dedication rituals by using one of the elephants we already have," said M Radha, the Guruvayur Devaswom deputy administrator in charge of livestock. The palm-sized elephant model in gold offered to Sree Padmanabha cost ₹6 lakh.

Wild vs Captive
Legal ownership certificates have not been issued for elephants after October 18, 2003. This was the deadline for the amnesty scheme under the Declaration of Wildlife Stock Rules, 2003. After this date, even wild elephants that are considered a threat to human lives and are tranquilised with official permission have to be kept in government rescue centres or shelters.

So the elephants that are branded 'captive' are the ones that have received ownership certificates before the Wildlife Protection Act was passed in 1972, and those that were given certificates belatedly under the amnesty scheme till October 18, 2003. The calves born of captive elephants are also considered captive

The general complaint is that the Kerala Forest Department is being impractical by being unnecessarily adamant. "Other states allow entry even if there is only a provisional ownership certificate, not Kerala," said Radha, the Guruvayur Devaswom deputy administrator.

Four 'easy' steps to transfer elephants
A top Forest Department official, on the condition of anonymity, said that the Department was not against the arrival of captive elephants in Kerala.

"In fact, we even encourage their import from other states," the official told Onmanorama. "The captive elephant population in Kerala has come down so drastically that the workload on the existing ones has multiplied to an alarming degree. So it is in our interest to have more captive elephants in Kerala," he said.

He said that only four conditions had to be satisfied for captive elephants to cross Kerala borders. One, there should be a valid ownership certificate. Two, there should be adequate facilities for the proper upkeep of the elephant in the place to which it is sought to be transferred.

Three, the elephant's genetic profile should have been entered into the 'electronic monitoring application' of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC). Four, there should be a clearance from the High Power Committee constituted for the transfer of elephants from the North-East should have given its nod.

He said Kerala had even written to the MOEFCC to revise the rules to accommodate even provisional ownership certificates. "We are yet to receive a reply," he said.

"If an elephant does not have any of these, it can only mean that it was poached and illegally made captive," a field-level officer Onmanorama talked to said. "Elephants that are up for sale in the black markets of North East and Bihar are the ones that were trapped and brought there by dreaded poachers. To grant them entry is to encourage poaching," the official added.

Forget even purchase, as per the law, an elephant cannot even be gifted.