In a remarkable step towards cruelty-free temple traditions, Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff and PETA India on Saturday donated a life-size mechanical elephant to the historic Nediyathali Sri Siva Temple in Kodungallur, Kerala, NDTV reported.
The three-metre-tall, 800-kg creation, named Thaleeswaran, was presented to honour the temple’s progressive decision never to keep or rent live elephants. The mechanical elephant will be used for rituals and processions, ensuring both cultural continuity and animal welfare. The inauguration featured a traditional Panchari Melam performance, drawing devotees and dignitaries.
Speaking about the initiative, Shroff said his “heart lights up when God’s creations live freely,” stressing that elephants belong in rivers and forests, not in captivity. “That’s why I am donating Thaleeswaran, so that temple ceremonies remain grand without causing distress to real elephants,” he added.
Congress MP Benny Behanan, present at the ceremony, praised the innovation, noting its realistic appearance combined with complete safety. “Children can interact with it, take pictures, and feel joy without any risk,” he said. Temple president Suresh Babu echoed this sentiment, calling the gesture “a tribute to all sacred beings created by the divine.”
Built with rubber, fibre, metal, mesh, foam, and powered by five motors, Thaleeswaran can flap its ears, sway its trunk, move its eyes, and even spray water. Mounted on wheels, it can be guided through temple streets for rituals.
This marks PETA India’s eleventh robotic elephant donation, and the seventh in Kerala, reinforcing the growing adoption of compassion in temple traditions.