Makaravilakku festival: Tusker parade barred

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday asked the Travancore Devaswom Board to stop using elephants for parading in connection with the Makaravilakku festival at Sabarimala sannidhanam. The court, however, permitted the TDB to use just one elephant for the annual festival.

The court considered the views of Sabarimala Thanthris Kandararu Rajeevaru and Mahesh Mohanararu  who informed the court that the use of elephants during Makaravilakku can be dispensed with. However, there was a difference of opinion between the two Thanthris regarding the use of elephants in the annual festival.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice Anu Shivaraman recorded the submissions of the Thanthris and banned the use of elephants during Makaravilakku. A caparisoned elephant was used for carrying the idols during ezhunnellath, three days after the Makaravilakku day.

The court had earlier asked the Thantris to inform it of their stand in using the elephants for parading as part of the festivities. The court was considering a report filed by the Sabarimala special commissioner regarding the death of a 68-year-old woman at Sabarimala owing to the attack of an irritated elephant.

The court had earlier observed that time had  come for those who control religious practices and rituals of Sabarimala temple to tell the court as to whether it was necessary in terms of the prescription of the rituals and practices that domestic elephants should be brought to be paraded as part of the Vilakkinezhunallippu at Sabarimala.