Five-year-old Assam jumbo arrives at Madurai temple on Vinayagar Chaturthi

MADURAI: After a cross-country trip covering nearly 3,000 kilometres, a five-year-old female elephant from Assam arrived at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai around 1.30 am on Monday, during the Vinayagar Chaturthi festival celebrations. The arrival of the elephant, named Durga, has restored the elephant count of the shrine to the original two.

According to temple authorities, the arrival of the elephant was facilitated by Seva Trust, Chennai. The officials said that facilities to house two elephants are already in place at the temple, which have been readied for Durga’s arrival, adding that special arrangements were made for the young elephant’s accommodation, care, and veterinary requirements. HR&CE Minister Ramesh, who inspected the ongoing works in the temple on Monday evening, met the new elephant Durga and fed her greens.

Durga’s arrival was enabled by the Madras High Court’s September 2 judgment, which clarified that the court’s 2021 direction against taking elephants into captivity was aimed at preventing fresh capture of wild elephants and did not prohibit the transfer or donation of elephants that are already in captivity, provided existing rules are followed. The Assam elephant has now joined Parvati, another female elephant that has been residing in the Madurai temple for 30 years.

Several videos of Durga reaching the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and her playful behaviour are going viral on social media platforms. While several devotees and members of the public welcomed the new arrival, the move has also drawn flak from conservation groups, some of whom questioned the transfer process, especially the 3,000-kilometre-long journey, the speed of the inspection and approval, and a lack of recorded routine health check-ups during the initial inspection. They also contended that temple captivity could lead to prolonged chaining and inadequate living conditions for the elephants.

Halt transfer of 4 jumbos, says animal welfare org

Four more captive elephants in Assam are in the process of being transferred to TN temples. An online petition, initiated by People for Cattle in India, has sought a halt to the transfers, citing concerns over ownership, documentation, welfare, and legal approvals. The petition, initiated on September 11, has crossed 2,000 verified signatures