Alappuzha | In a watershed moment for Kerala’s temple traditions, Voices for Asian Elephants unveiled life-sized robotic elephants in two temples in Alappuzha district marking the first time temples in the district replace live captive elephants with a humane alternative, and the first time a nonprofit launches two robotic elephants in a single Kerala district on the same day.
Neelamkulangara Vishnudasan is ceremonially welcomed at Panavally Neelamkulangara Sree Narayana Vilasam Sree Maha Vishnu Kshethram, as Omkareswaram Rama Senapathy arrives in procession at Omkareswaram Sree Rama Subrahmanya Temple, Cherthala.
Both elephants entered their temples amid traditional music, rituals, and vibrant celebrations preserving sacred pageantry and Kerala’s rich culture. This pioneering initiative offers a humane and culturally sensitive alternative to live captive elephants. It allows temples to honor age-old traditions while eliminating the suffering, stress, and serious public safety risks long associated with parading elephants.
The launches unfold against the backdrop of mounting tragedy in Kerala’s festival circuit. Between March 1, 2025 and January 2, 2026 alone, in just a 10-month span — 20 captive elephants have died, including young bulls in their prime reproductive years. That is two “festival elephant” deaths per month, which is intensifying public alarm.
One of the most high-profile cases involves the celebrity elephant Thechikkotu Ramachandran, whose recent stampede during a temple festival resulted in at least three deaths, with many people seriously injured. In early February, another devastating incident claimed the life of a mahout after a captive elephant reportedly under severe distress fatally attacked him.
“Young elephants in the prime of their lives are dying—at an age when, in the wild, they would be mating, leading, and strengthening family bonds. The recent stampede involving Thechikkotu Ramachandran, along with the tragic death of a mahout in a separate incident, underscores the urgent need for meaningful reform’, said Sangita Iyer, Founder & Managing Director of Voices for Asian Elephants Society (VFAES).
“At Voices for Asian Elephants, we believe true devotion must uphold Ahimsa in both spirit and practice. In this dharmic commitment, we are honored to sponsor robotic elephants for temples in Kerala supporting a path that protects both human life and elephant sovereignty. Elephants are deeply intelligent, socially complex beings revered in our scriptures and entrusted to us as part of Prakriti. They are born to roam forests with their families, not to stand shackled amidst blaring crowds. Compassionate stewardship is Sanātana Dharma in action,” Iyer added.
Standing 10 feet tall and weighing 500 kilograms, the robotic elephants are crafted from fiber and rubber for a lifelike presence. Their eyes, ears, trunk, and tail move electronically, and they safely carry up to four people during rituals and processions delivering grandeur without inflicting suffering.
Designed by Four He-Arts Creations in Chalakudy under artist Prasanth Prakash, these are the third and fourth robotic elephants commissioned by VFAES signaling a growing humane temple movement across South India.
“Elephants and fireworks have long been cherished parts of our temple festivals. But we have proudly chosen to exclude both, prioritizing safety and ethics. We are deeply grateful to Voices for Asian Elephants (VFAE) for their partnership. This collaboration lets us fully honor our sacred traditions without compromise or harm to living beings,” said P. R. Purushan, President, Temple Advisory Committee, Panavally Neelamkulangara Sree Narayana Vilasam Sree Maha Vishnu Kshethram.
“We're thrilled to see growing awareness among temples about the ethical issues and safety risks of using live elephants. With heartfelt gratitude to our partners at Voices for Asian Elephants (VFAE), who sponsored this magnificent robotic elephant, we stand united with them in this vital fight against elephant abuse. It allows us to uphold our traditions with true compassion and shared purpose,” said N. R Surendran, President, Temple Advisory Committee, Omkareswaram Sree Rama Subrahmanya Temple, Cherthala.
This milestone in Alappuzha builds on earlier breakthroughs, including Tamil Nadu’s first robotic elephant at Sree Sankaran Kovil and another at Chakkamparambu Sree Bhagavathi Temple at Thrissur. More temples are embracing this compassionate shift, proving that tradition does not require cruelty to endure.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the United Nations–nominated, multi-award-winning documentary Gods in Shackles, produced and directed by Sangita Iyer—a milestone that underscores how far the conversation has shifted. A decade later, public awareness has steadily exposed the exploitation of elephants for profit, often hidden behind the guise of culture and religion, and that awareness is now translating into decisive action across temples, communities, and conservation initiatives.
Beyond temple reform, VFAES is also advancing wild elephant protection in multiple states across India. In South Nilambur, Kerala, the organization has donated four acres of private land to secure a vital corridor for approximately 340 wild elephants. Similarly, 52-acres of land in Odisha has been rewilded by employing tribal people, planting around 100,000 elephant friendly saplings across key forest ranges. Meanwhile, VFAE’s EleSense - an AI powered technology is preventing elephant-train collisions in West Bengal, having averted around 1,400 of them within a short span of three years.
