CHENNAI: A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Madras High Court to prevent authorities, including the Hindu Munnani, from using elephants, horses and cows in the ‘Sodasa Mahalakshmi Mahayagam’ at Payaniyar Thillai Nagar in Pongalur in Tiruppur district on December 23, 24 and 26.
A bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam, before which the petition from S Muthukumar of Velampalayam came up for hearing on Friday, ordered notice to the authorities concerned, including the Tiruppur unit of the HM, returnable on December 27.
According to the petitioner, the Munnani was proposing to conduct the event with 1,008 cows, 108 horses and elephants for conducting special poojas.
“The ceremony, with a vast number of animals, would definitely cause a hazardous situation in the area and hindrance to the movement of local people.
Already ‘Komari’ disease is prevalent in that area. The Collectors had issued orders, banning the weekly shandy of cattle in Pollachi and Tiruppur, fearing spread of the disease.”
Hence, the event where thousands of animals will congregate, should be banned, the petitioner added.