KOCHI: The Cochin Devaswom Board on Wednesday approached the High Court seeking to exempt it from complying with the direction of the court issued in November regarding the parading of elephants for ‘Vrishchikolsavam 2025’ of Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, Tripunithura, that will be held from November 29 to December 6.
The Board submitted that the district-level monitoring committee asked them to follow the directions of the court. However, the board is not in a position to comply with the order as the preparations started months ago.
The order mandated that the organisers of any festival intending to exhibit a captive elephant must apply to the district committee at least one month before the event.
The district committee shall consider the availability of space inside temples or other places where the exhibition or parading is proposed and will ensure that no permission is granted unless the venue where the exhibitions or parading of elephants is proposed has sufficient space to parade the elephants with -- a minimum distance of 3m between two elephants, a minimum distance of 5m from the elephant to the flambeau or any other source of fire, a minimum distance of 8m from the elephant to the public and any percussion display.
The court’s guidelines also mandated that the committee should grant permission only after satisfying that the elephant has a temporary tethering facility.
The petitioners sought modification in the order, but the court declined. The court also directed them to file an affidavit regarding the parading and the facilities arranged for it.
The devaswom informed that the ‘Pathivu register’ maintained from 1957 onwards would show that 15 elephants are paraded in the festival.
The court also directed to explain how many elephants can be accommodated if the distance rule is maintained.