Karnataka Minister Shri Ramalinga Reddy, MLA Dr Ranganath, Samyukta Hornad, and Karnataka Mahila Congress President Sowmya Reddy, Support First Mechanical Elephant in Nation Inaugurated at a Muzrai Temple, Yedeyur Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy Temple

Actor Samyukta Hornad, PETA India, and Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) gifted India’s first life-size mechanical elephant, named Niranjana, to be used in a Muzrai or government temple. With support from Honourable Minister of Muzrai and Transport, Karnataka, Shri Ramalinga Reddy, Kunigal MLA Dr HD Ranganath, along with actor Samyukta Hornad and Sowmya Reddy, All India Mahila Congress general secretary and Karnataka Mahila Congress president, inaugurated Niranjana at the Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy Temple in Yedeyur, Kunigal Taluk, Tumkur District, in recognition of the temple’s decision never to own or hire live elephants. The temple is the first Muzrai temple in the nation to use this technology. Niranjana will be used to conduct ceremonies in a safe and cruelty-free manner, helping real elephants stay with their families in the jungle. An inauguration ceremony was held today at the temple followed by a mangala vadhyam performance.

“Technological innovation enables us to preserve our deep cultural traditions and heritage while also allowing captive elephants to live with their families in their natural habitat. It gives me great joy to support this mechanical, lifelike elephant, which will ensure that devotees can participate in festivals and rituals in a safe and animal-friendly manner,”

 – Shri Ramalinga Reddy.

“For Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy Temple to be the first government temple in the nation to welcome a mechanical elephant is a privilege and honour for our town. I am very pleased that our devotees now have the opportunity to worship Lord Ganesha in a safe manner, and I am supportive of any work that helps animals thrive in nature.”

– Dr Ranganath

“These compassionate alternatives will not only allow endangered elephants to live with their families in the wild, it’s good for people, too, in the longer run. This won’t take away the old cultural traditions; all we take away is bull hooks, pain, and misery of elephants. What better state to host India’s first mechanical elephant in a government temple than Karnataka – home to Bengaluru, India’s largest tech hub? I am thrilled to donate this mechanical elephant with CUPA and PETA India.

– Samyukta Hornad

“As a longtime animal protection advocate and environmentalist, it gives me immense pleasure to be part of the inaugural ceremony to welcome mechanical elephant Niranjana to Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy Temple. Elephants should be in the jungle for their own well-being and the health of the Earth, as they play a crucial role as seed dispersers, impacting carbon dioxide release by promoting healthy forests through their ability to distribute large seeds across wide areas.”

– Sowmya Reddy

“On this auspicious day, we are delighted to welcome a mechanical elephant to our temple in honour of all the divine creatures who deserve our compassion and respect and yearn to roam the Earth free and secure with their loved ones,”.

 – Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy Temple Executive Officer Sri HS Mahesh.

“CUPA is privileged to gift this mechanical elephant to the temple with Samyukta Hornad and PETA India. We hope this will be the first of many such initiatives in our revered institutions, ensuring the safety of devotees and that elephants remain free to roam the forests. We are grateful to the honourable minister for making this possible.”

– CUPA Trustee Suparna Ganguly

Elephants are extremely clever, active, and gregarious wild animals. Training them to be used in processions is done by forcing them into submission, including by beating them and using weapons to inflict pain. Many elephants held captive in temples and other places suffer from extremely painful foot problems and leg wounds due to being chained on concrete for hours on end. Most of them are denied adequate food, water, veterinary care, and any semblance of a natural life. Under these hellish conditions, many elephants become intensely frustrated and lash out, sometimes killing mahouts or other humans. According to figures compiled by the Heritage Animal Task Force, captive elephants killed 526 people in Kerala in a 15-year period. Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran, who has been in captivity for about 40 years and is one of the most often used elephants in Kerala’s festival circuit, has reportedly killed 13 individuals: six mahouts, four women, and three elephants.

PETA India encourages all venues and events using elephants to switch to lifelike mechanical elephants or other means in place of real elephants. PETA India has already donated four life-size mechanical elephants – Irinjadappilly Raman to the Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur, supported by actor Parvathy Thiruvothu; Mahadevan to the Thrikkayil Mahadeva Temple in Kochi, supported by actor Priyamani; Shiva to Jagadguru Sri Veerasimhasana Mahasamsthana Math in Mysuru, supported by actors Aindrita Ray and Diganth Manchale; and Baladhasan to the Pournamikavu Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, supported by actor Adah Sharma – in recognition of the temples’ decisions never to own or hire live elephants. Another NGO donated a mechanical elephant to Shivan Temple in Gudalur.

Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy Temple is an ancient temple and eminent pilgrimage centre dedicated to Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy, who is considered to have been an incarnation of Lord Shiva, as its main deity. The temple also contains the Nirvikalpa Shivayoga Samadhi (tomb) of Shri Tontada Siddhalinga, a revered 15^th century Lingayata saint. This revered site is an architectural masterpiece that showcases the intricate craftsmanship and architectural prowess of ancient Karnataka. The temple – known for its deep spiritual ambiance, rich history, stunning architecture, and religious significance – is a must-visit site for those who seek solace and cultural enrichment, attracting thousands of devotees and tourists annually.