KOCHI: Panic prevailed in Cheranalloor for a few hours on Saturday when an elephant brought for parading in a temple festival turned restive. However, no casualties were reported.The trouble began when the tusker, Maradi Ayyappan, became hostile by noon when it was taken for a bath before the ‘Kazhcha Sreebali’ ceremony at the annual festival of Sri Partha Sarathi temple.
The tusker ran amok and destroyed the pandal, mike sets, tube light sets and chairs in the land close to the temple building.Soon forest officials were alerted. A team of Cheranalloor police also reached the spot along with a doctor from the animal husbandry department. The forest officials used a tranquillizer to bring the elephant under control and it was chained.Maradi Ayyappan was brought to Cheranalloor on Friday night. The temple authorities decided not to bring more elephants to the festival as the tusker turned violent, triggering panic.