New HC guidelines will hinder conduct of Sree Koodalmanikyam temple festival

The recent ruling of the Kerala High Court on captive elephant management will make it impossible for Sree Koodalmanikyam Devaswom to conduct the 10-day-long temple festival, in which 17 elephants are paraded during the “shiveli” in morning and “vilakku” at night, a statement from the Devaswom Management Committee on Saturday noted.

The “nadapura” of the temple where the elephants are paraded is 33 m long and 10.5 m wide and the new restriction imposing 3 m gap between the elephants will make it difficult to parade the required number of elephants for the temple festival, the statement pointed out.

Moreover, the arattu (holy dip) of the idol of the temple, which is to be held at Rappal and Koodapuzha, near Chalakudy, during alternate years will not be possible under the new guidelines as the caparisoned elephants walk around 20 km for the holy dip at these respective places, it added.

Published - November 16, 2024 08:45 pm IST