HYDERABAD: An elephant named Menaka belonging to the Sri Veera Thapasvi Veerabhadra Shiva Charyaru Samasthanam Muth near Kalaburagi in Karnataka will participate in three Bonalu processions to be held in the city. It will take part in the processions at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple, Secunderabad (July 26), Sri Nalla Pochamma Devasthanam, Sabji Mandi, Karwan (August 1) and Sri Akkanna Madanna Temple, Hari Bowli (August 2).
The Telangana Forest Department has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the Endowments Department for the entry of the privately owned elephant into the State. The NOC will be invalid if prior police permission is not obtained for the processions. The Forest Department has put in a condition that Menaka should not be housed in and around the Nehru Zoological Park as eight Asiatic lions housed in the zoo had contracted the virus a while ago. A female giraffe suspected to be suffering from pneumonia also died in the zoo during the month of May this year.
The Endowments Department should take the responsibility for the transport, housing, food, and veterinary care of the elephant during the stay, as well as during the processions. They should arrange for providing qualified and trained veterinary officers with tranquilising equipment throughout the procession, without which NOC will be invalid.
The organisers should arrange for trained mahouts and assistance to accompany the elephant from Karnataka to Hyderabad and back. The elephant should be taken back to Karnataka within 24 hours after the conclusion of the procession. The NOC is subject to the latest health certificate issued by the concerned authorities indicating that the elephant is fit for travel and to participate in the Bonalu processions.
In 2020, there were no Bonalu festivities. In 2019, replacing the famous Rajani of Hyderabad, an elephant named Gajalaxmi Meena was brought in from Kalaburagi for the procession at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple. However, Meena showed signs of distress during the procession. The Endowments Department had to rope in another elephant, Sudha, from Belgaum for the processions at Old City.