Heritage Animal Task Force seeks action against Thripunithura temple committee

The Thrissur-based Heritage Animal Task Force has called for action against the Thripunithura Poornathrayeesa temple festival committee and the Secretary of the Cochin Devaswom Board for allegedly violating a Kerala High Court order regarding elephant parades in the State.

In a letter to the Principal Secretary of the Forest department, the State Chief Wildlife Warden, and the Ernakulam District Collector, V.K. Venkitachalam, secretary of the task force, accused the committee of breaching the elephant parade regulations during the Triketta Purapad ritual at the Poornathrayeesa temple. “I have provided photographs and videos to substantiate my claims,” he stated.

Mr. Venkitachalam alleged that the festival committee violated the rules on November 29, 30, and December 1 and 2, within the premises of the Poornathrayeesa temple. On December 1, for instance, elephants were paraded continuously for six hours, from 7.30 p.m. to 1.30 a,m. He warned that if these violations were not addressed, other festival committees in the State would likely follow suit.

Mr. Venkitachalam called for a thorough investigation into these violations and urged the department to cancel all permissions and registrations for elephant parades at the Poornathrayeesa temple.