Thechikottukavu Ramachandran out of festival on safety grounds

PALAKKAD: Elephant Thechikottukavu Ramachandran of Thechikkottukavu temple in Peramagalm in Thrissur had to be taken out of Chinakathoor pooram in Ottappalam on Saturday, citing safety measures. The High Court on March 9 had ordered that, chaired by the district Collector, should approve the fitness certificate of the animal before it was paraded in any festivals. Forest Range Officer (Social Forestry) A K Rajeevan, who was in charge of monitoring the elephant at Ottappalam, told DC that as there was no approval from the District Captive Elephant Monitoring Committee, headed by the Collector.

The committee, according to the high court order on March 9, must approve the elephant’s fitness before it is paraded at festivals. Kallarkkodu Desam, which hired the elephant for Friday, was asked not to parade the elephant but they did not comply with the order at first. The elephant went berserk at the temple before it was paraded by pulling down a few thatched tiles while being taken for nourishment. Forest officials and Ottappalam sub-collector then asked the temple and festival committee not to parade it citing safety concerns, and later it was driven away.

The HC order was on a petition filed by Mr M.N. Jayachandran, the Animal Welfare Board of India nominee in Kerala. He had cited in the petition that the elephant was partially blind and had a bad temperament due to overburden of work. Besides, it had killed 11 persons. “The elephant, which has a huge fan following across the state given its grandeur, is given on hire for Rs 3 lakh by Thechikkottukavu devaswom for festivals,” he noted.