Subbulakshmi’s Tragic Death Highlights Grim Future For Temple Elephants In Tamil Nadu

Subbulakshmi, an elephant of the Kundrakudi Shanmughanathar Temple in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district, passed away recently after sustaining severe burn injuries.

According to news reports, the fire was caused by a short circuit.

Even though the temple elephant, housed in a structure with corrugated sheet roofing and covered with palm leaves to keep the place cool during the summers, had managed to escape somehow, she later succumbed to the burns.

The incident raises several questions — Why was no one able to rescue the elephant? Was she supposed to be housed in such a structure? What is the role of the Kundrakudi Adheenam (to which the temple belongs) and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Department in the entire tragedy?

Swarajya spoke to M Nachiappan, the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) spiritual and temple wing; S Prabha, the district forest officer (DFO) of Sivaganga; as well as two well-known temple activists, T R Ramesh and Rangarajan Narasimhan, to learn more about the incident and the state of temple elephants in India and Tamil Nadu in particular.

(This writer also reached out to the HRCE minister, department officials, and the Adheenam. This article will carry their responses if we receive them.)

Mahout Absent, Police Complaint Delayed

While a short circuit was reported as the cause of the fire, Nachiappan said some people he spoke to suspected that the fire may have spread from a deepam (lamp) that was close to where the elephant was housed.

The mahout and cavady (the caretakers of the elephant) should ideally have been the first to respond, but they were absent during the incident. “Mahouts are supposed to be with the elephants all the time. But on that night, the mahout was somehow absent. He came much later,” Nachiappan said.

Morever, in such cases, a complaint must be filed with the police immediately. But this was not done. “They gave the complaint three to four days after the incident. Before them, our team had given a complaint in police stations across Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Temporary Shed Under Corrugated Roof A No-No

Temple elephants are to be housed in concrete sheds with proper ventilation, according to the guidelines under the Tamil Nadu Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2011.

The minimum floor area and height requirements are also specified: 9 x 6 x 6 metres.

“No corrugated iron sheets or asbestos be used for roofing of elephant stables,” the rules say.

On the non-compliance, DFO Prabha said that the issue had been flagged by the committee that inspects captive elephants every few months.

Was The Elephant Treated Well After Injury?

Nachiappan asks why elephant specialists from Kerala, Karnataka, or Gudalur in Tamil Nadu were not called forth.

Denying any deficiency in the care provided to Subbulakshmi, Prabha said they had done their best to save the animal and that senior veterinary doctors from places like Namakkal, Varusanadu, Theni, and Thanjavur, forest department doctors, and a couple of local veterinarians were brought in.

“In a few hours we had all of them reach the spot and arranged for all the necessary medicines. But the injuries were severe. Subbulakshmi had suffered 37 per cent burns. The first layer of the skin, the upper layer of the stomach, the head, and the trunk were all affected. We did our best but could not save it,” she said.

Closeness To DMK Helping The Adheenam?

Nachiappan said they were initially not allowed to see the elephant. "People in the Adheenam said this is our internal matter. Only after an argument with the police we were allowed inside,” he said.

“This particular Adheenam is close to the ruling DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), and so they probably thought they could get away with whatever they want. The head of the Adheenam, often seen praising the DMK, is a part of all committees of the HRCE department, including the steering committee of the Murugan conference that was held recently in Palani,” he said.

Ramesh and Narasimhan also say the Adheenam is close to the ruling party.

On the HRCE department's involvement in the issue, as it is an Adheenam temple, Ramesh said, "Adheenams are considered religious denominations. While Adheenam temples do not come under the control of the HRCE department, as Section 107 of the HRCE Act prohibits any orders against a denomination, it still retains overall supervision, and the government can question if there is any mismanagement, etc. Further, the Act does not have specific provisions for temple animals. They are governed by circulars and guidelines issued by the HRCE and forest departments."

Does the Adheenam possess the resources to fulfil the requirements of the elephant? “Funds are not an issue for this temple. This Adheenam, earlier known as the Tiruvannamalai Adheenam, has five temples under it. They have a good amount of property and revenue,” Ramesh said.

“The Adheenam is not poor. All its temples have sufficient revenue. They are spending money on buying cars, making offices, etc. But when it comes to spending for pujas, temple animals, etc, I do not know why they are not doing it properly,” Nachiappan tells this writer.

What Let Subbulakshmi Down?

Caring for temple elephants must be strengthened. Ramesh said that while inspections are mandated under the rules, the local people should also be made participants in the process.

“Those who come for inspections every few months can be managed. But the local people would be able to attest as to whether the elephant is being taken care of properly or not," he said.

According to him, there is a large open space opposite the entrance where the elephant could have been housed instead of on the hill.

Should We Even Have Temple Elephants Anymore?

The incident has once again brought up the question of the necessity of temple elephants and whether it is right to keep them in conditions different from their natural habitat, the forest.

Some temples have already made the change by using mechanical elephants for their rituals.

"While Subbulakshmi's death is very saddening, and it could have lived for another 20-30 years, I don't think there should be a complete ban on temple elephants," Ramesh says.

"Gau (cow) puja and gaja (elephant) puja are part of Hindu culture. While gau puja is a must in all agama temples, gaja puja cannot be afforded by all. So temples that can afford it should have elephants.

"Those elephants that have been brought up in temples can't suddenly be sent back to forests. They will not survive there. But adequate care must be taken," he adds.

Ramesh elaborates on some essentials of elephant care. "While there are quite a few things, some of the important ones would be not being made to feel the heat, not being made to walk on tar roads for long distances, ensuring hygiene, especially around the toes and nails, and giving them regular baths."

He says there are temples like the Guruvayur Temple in Kerala that have a large number of elephants (nearly 40) and have established dedicated spaces for them.

'My Case Might Have Been Able To Save Subbulakshmi'

Tamil Nadu-based temple activist Rangarajan Narasimhan filed a case in the Madras High Court in 2021 seeking better care for the Srirangam elephant. (The case was later expanded by the court to cover all temples.)

"I asked for 10 acres for each elephant so that they can live in a natural habitat. If this case had come to a close and elephants were not put in a garage-like area, this elephant could have been saved. I blame myself for not pushing it enough. It died a horrible, heartbreaking death."

Asked if 10 acres was too much to ask for, Narasimhan said that the number was a suggestion and that the core point is that elephants should be allowed to live in more natural surroundings.

"While I have advocated for a more natural environment for temple elephants, any adaptation must be gradual," Narasimhan cautions. "For an animal that has lived in a small shed all its life, it would be difficult to adjust to a large open area. So it must be taken there for a few hours every day, till it gets used to the new arrangement."

The idea of keeping elephants in the open is not a new one. Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa believed temple elephants needed yearly rejuvenation, and so they would be taken for a month every year to an elephant camp in Theppakadu.

"While this was somewhat good, it does not solve the problem," Narasimhan said. "The idea should be to give a good environment all through the year and not just during some one-month holiday."

Meanwhile, his case is pending. "In the last hearing, the Srirangam temple said that 6 acres had been allotted, but the elephant was still staying in the temple. Even the court asked, What is the point of allocating land then?"

Srirangam Elephant Case: A Closer Look

"Over the years, the Srirangam elephant has changed dramatically. I do not understand how it has changed so much," Narasimhan says.

"Earlier, it wouldn't allow anybody to get up on it unless the mahout told it to do so. Now any Tom, Dick, and Harry are able to climb it. Also, it is not coming in for regular affairs and is hardly able to walk," he says.

"During earlier days, the elephant would be taken to the Cauvery River at least three times a day. Nowadays it is seldom taken there for bathing. Even the care is not as before. The original mahout was sent away unceremoniously when laws say that they should be appointed for life and not changed unless the person is unable to perform the duties or has some serious diseases, etc," according to Narasimhan.

The much-touted shower and pool facilities built by the HRCE department in some temples (including Srirangam) are not used regularly, he says. "They involve the use of thousands of gallons of water, and disposal of that muddy water after the elephants have taken baths is a problem. Adding to that is the issue of huge electricity bills."

Care For Elephant Caretakers Too

A holistic approach to the issue would focus not just on the animal but also on the men looking after it. "Proper mahouts should be appointed. Often they are not actual mahouts but cow rearers or sheep rearers who do not know how to manage an elephant. While 50 per cent are not mahouts, 75 per cent are drunkards," Narasimhan says.

Mahouts must also be remunerated adequately. "Many mahouts are paid paltry amounts like Rs 3,000-4,000, which is not at all sufficient, given that they are expected to be with the elephant at all times," he says.

"Permanent mahouts should be appointed," Ramesh says. "Often it is seen that mahouts go away when they get a better salary. Many times, elephants do not warm up to the new mahout. The attachment (of the elephant to the new mahout) is not there."

The Future Of Temple Elephants

"I am not very optimistic about it," Narasimhan says about the future of temple elephants in India.

"Only courts can help, but the speed at which things happen there is not very encouraging. Justice delayed is justice denied, as you can see in the context of my case. Had a final judgement been passed, Subbulakshmi and many other temple elephants would today be enjoying better facilities and not have to lose their lives," he says.

He believes human beings have become heartless. "A few noble souls will cry over the death of elephants in temples, but they cannot do anything. On the one hand, we celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with pomp and splendour, and on the other hand, we ill-treat temple elephants," he adds.

It's not as if the authorities don't know what's happening. They are indeed aware, which is why there are elaborate rules for how to care for temple elephants, from the size of their enclosures to the amount of food to be provided.

What is needed, however, is for authorities to crack the whip and ensure that the rulebook is followed.

But the prospects are dim — the Chief Minister of the state is an atheist, and the HRCE minister is someone who has no qualms in participating in a conference where the ruling party's scion calls for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma.

Who, then, will lead the movement for the safety and well-being of temple elephants in Tamil Nadu?