Supreme Court halts Kerala HC's 'impractical' rules on elephant in temple fests
3 months, 1 week ago

Supreme Court halts Kerala HC's 'impractical' rules on elephant in temple fests

India Today  

At the famous Thrissur Pooram, it’s a centuries-old tradition that a large number of decorated elephants are paraded for all to see. And on Thursday, Supreme Court kept the tradition in mind to temporarily halt the restrictions imposed by the Kerala High Court on the use of elephants in temple festivals. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh ordered that any directive issued by the High Court contrary to the Kerala Captive Elephants Rules, 2012, will be stayed for the time being. The guidelines issued by the Kerala High Court stated there should be a minimum distance of 3 m between the elephants standing in a pooram, the minimum distance between the elephant and the public and any percussion instrument performance should be 8 m. The minimum distance of elephants from any place of fireworks should be 100 m. Along with this, elephants should get at least three days of rest between two performances. A bench of Kerala High Court judges AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice P Gopinath stated that the use of elephants in festivals was not an essential religious practice.

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History of this topic

Participation of elephants in festivals is part of our culture: Supreme Court
1 week, 3 days ago

Participation of elephants in festivals is part of our culture: Supreme Court

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court of India remarked on Monday that the use of elephants in festivals is part of the country’s culture. A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma was hearing a petition filed by the NGO Vishwa Gaja Seva Samithi, which challenged a judgment of the Kerala High Court on January 13 in a suo motu case …

Elephants in Kerala religious festivals: Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing of plea to lift stay
2 months ago

Elephants in Kerala religious festivals: Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing of plea to lift stay

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday did not heed an oral plea to urgently take up for hearing an application to lift its Order of December 19, 2024, staying a clutch of directions issued by the Kerala High Court, including that elephants must maintain a minimum distance of three metres from each other at religious festivals, parades and exhibitions. …

Parading of elephants: HC asks Devaswom officer to tender unconditional apology
2 months ago

Parading of elephants: HC asks Devaswom officer to tender unconditional apology

The Hindu  

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed R. Reghuraman, Devaswom officer of the Thripunithura Poornathrayeesa Temple, to file a fresh affidavit tendering an unconditional apology, in a contempt of court case that had been initiated over his alleged failure to comply with the court’s directives on parading elephants during the temple festival. The court preferred not to accept his explanation, …

SC order on elephants in fests turns focus on decades-old tussle in Kerala
3 months, 1 week ago

SC order on elephants in fests turns focus on decades-old tussle in Kerala

Hindustan Times  

The Supreme Court ’s order on Thursday, effectively staying restrictions imposed by the Kerala high court on the use of elephants in temple festivals may have, for now, resolved the latest battle between tradition, heritage, and culture on one side, and safety of both elephants and the public on the other -- but the larger war is likely to continue. …

'How Can You Ask Elephants To Keep 3 Meter Distance? Kerala High Court's Directions Impractical': Supreme Court
Trending News
3 months, 1 week ago

'How Can You Ask Elephants To Keep 3 Meter Distance? Kerala High Court's Directions Impractical': Supreme Court

Live Law  

The Supreme Court today while effectively staying the restrictions imposed by the Kerala High Court dated November 13, including that a minimum distance of 3 meters should be there between elephants during processions in temple festivals, remarked that the High Court should not have exercised suo moto powers and issued directions in "vacuum". While directing strict compliance with the Kerala …

Supreme Court Stays Kerala HC's Directions On Use Of Elephants For Temple Festivals Which Are Contrary To 2012 Rules
Trending News
3 months, 1 week ago

Supreme Court Stays Kerala HC's Directions On Use Of Elephants For Temple Festivals Which Are Contrary To 2012 Rules

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on Thursday effectively stayed the restrictions imposed by the Kerala High Court for the use of elephants in temple festivals. The Court ordered that any direction issued by the High Court contrary to the Kerala Captive Elephants Rules, 2012 would remain stayed. The High Court issued various directions mandating a minimum 3-meter distance between two elephants, minimum …

Thrissur Pooram will come to 'grinding halt', temple boards tell Supreme Court
3 months, 1 week ago

Thrissur Pooram will come to 'grinding halt', temple boards tell Supreme Court

India Today  

Two important temple boards in Kerala moved Supreme Court against Kerala High Court’s order regarding the restrictions during the conduct of festivals, such as Thrissur Pooram. The petition challenged the Kerala High Court’s festival-centric directions for the conduct of Thrissur Pooram and other festivals, especially those involving elephants. According to the temple management committees, if the Kerala High Court’s festival-centric …

Kerala High Court Issues Contempt Notice To Devaswom Officer Over Violation Of Guidelines Regulating Elephant Parading At Temple Festivals
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Kerala High Court Issues Contempt Notice To Devaswom Officer Over Violation Of Guidelines Regulating Elephant Parading At Temple Festivals

Live Law  

The Kerala High Court has issued notice to an officer of the Cochin Devaswom Board under the Contempt of Courts Act, for allegedly breaching its guidelines regulating the parading of Elephants during Temple festivals. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Gopinath P. observed that admittedly, violations occurred on December 02 while parading Elephants at the Thripunithura Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple festival from November …

Temple authorities cannot do as they please in name of religion: Kerala HC
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Temple authorities cannot do as they please in name of religion: Kerala HC

New Indian Express  

KOCHI: Coming down heavily on the devaswom officer of Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, Tripunithura, for violating court directives on the elephant parade, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday orally observed that the temple authorities can’t do anything they like in the name of religion. “Only one breach is enough to cancel the festival permission granted but we are not doing it …

Kerala HC Pulls Cochin Devaswom Official For Violating Guidelines Regulating Parading Of Elephants At Temple Festivals, Seeks Affidavit
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Kerala HC Pulls Cochin Devaswom Official For Violating Guidelines Regulating Parading Of Elephants At Temple Festivals, Seeks Affidavit

Live Law  

The Kerala High Court has directed an official of the Cochin Devaswom Board to file an affidavit before the Court regarding alleged breach of guidelines issued regulating the parading of Elephants during Temple festivals. Last week, the Court had dismissed an application moved by the Devaswom Board for modification of the 3-meter distance rule between Elephants paraded at the Thripunithura …

Case against Kerala temple authorities for violating elephants' parade norms
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Case against Kerala temple authorities for violating elephants' parade norms

India Today  

A case has been filed against the officials of Kerala's Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple management committee for allegedly violating high court orders linked to the procession of elephants. The case was filed by the Kerala Forest Department against the Devaswom officer and other temple authorities after officials noticed a flouting of Kerala High Court directions in its inspection. The FIR came …

Tradition or safety? How Kerala govt is in a spot over curbs on elephant parades
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Tradition or safety? How Kerala govt is in a spot over curbs on elephant parades

India Today  

Kerala’s renowned temple festivals, attracting hundreds of thousands of people, are unimaginable without the traditional elephant parades. The fate of these majestic shows now hangs in the balance with the Kerala High Court questioning their indispensability and stipulating a minimum three-metre gap between each elephant taking part in parades done in the public or at temples. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Gopinath …

New rules on captive elephants have provision for euthanasia
3 months, 3 weeks ago

New rules on captive elephants have provision for euthanasia

The Hindu  

Making an elephant stand under the scorching sun for long, forcing it to wear decorations for unreasonably long periods, or bursting crackers near the animals for ceremonial purposes can land one in trouble, as these acts amount to cruelty to elephants under the proposed Kerala Captive Elephants, 2023. The State government is in the process of replacing the existing rules, …

Elephant parade at Poornathrayeesa Temple adheres to distance norms prescribed by Kerala High Court
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Elephant parade at Poornathrayeesa Temple adheres to distance norms prescribed by Kerala High Court

The Hindu  

The elephant parade as part of the Vrischikotsavam at Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, Thripunithura, was held on Friday by adhering to the Kerala High Court directive regarding the distance to be maintained between the pachyderms. Jayasankaran Nambiar and P. Gopinath had directed the Cochin Devaswom Board authorities, who manage the temple affairs, to ensure a minimum distance of three metres between …

Elephant Parading For Temple Festivals Not Essential Religious Practice: Kerala High Court
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Elephant Parading For Temple Festivals Not Essential Religious Practice: Kerala High Court

Live Law  

The Kerala High Court dismissed an application filed by the Cochin Devaswom Board which sought a modification of Court's guidelines requiring a 3 meter distance between two Elephants when parading them for festivals. v State of Kerala, stated that parading of Elephants in temple festivals would not constitute an Essential Religious Practice. The Court stated that the parading of elephants …

Pooram lovers feel HC restrictions on parading elephants will cast shadow over festivities
4 months, 1 week ago

Pooram lovers feel HC restrictions on parading elephants will cast shadow over festivities

The Hindu  

As the festival season draws near, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over Kerala’s iconic elephant parades. The recent High Court ruling, which imposes tough new restrictions, has sparked disappointment and worry among elephant enthusiasts and festival lovers. Poorolsava Samrakshana Koottayma, an informal group formed to protect festival traditions, conducted a symbolic pooram at the Thekke Gopura Nada of the Thekkinkadu …

Parading captive elephants: Kerala HC says organisers of festival must apply one month before the event
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Parading captive elephants: Kerala HC says organisers of festival must apply one month before the event

New Indian Express  

KOCHI: To prevent cruelty to elephants during parades, the Kerala High Court ruled on Thursday that organisers of any festival intending to exhibit a captive elephant must apply to the District Committee at least one month prior to the event. The court held that no organiser or Devaswom shall permit the deployment of any squads which go by the name …

Kerala HC urges stricter regulations to protect captive elephants
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Kerala HC urges stricter regulations to protect captive elephants

New Indian Express  

Kerala has always had a complicated relationship with elephants, which have been an integral part of the state’s cultural history. While elephants have always had a cult status in Malayalam literature and culture, they have also been money-spinners that are shuttled across the state to be paraded at religious festivals and private functions while being subjected to unspeakable torture. The …

Kerala HC Allows Use Of Elephants Only To Push Chariots For Negotiating Curves During Temple Festival, Issues Directions To Ensure No Cruelty
1 year, 1 month ago

Kerala HC Allows Use Of Elephants Only To Push Chariots For Negotiating Curves During Temple Festival, Issues Directions To Ensure No Cruelty

Live Law  

The Kerala High Court has permitted three temples to use elephants to push chariots only for negotiating curves, if required, for temple festivals since it was a centuries-old tradition, subject to compliance with all safeguards and directions by the Court. It also stated that the elephants should be used to push chariots only for negotiating curves, if required, and directed …

'Local Issues Best Dealt With By High Courts': Supreme Court Remarks On Plea Concerning Captive Elephants In Kerala
1 year, 5 months ago

'Local Issues Best Dealt With By High Courts': Supreme Court Remarks On Plea Concerning Captive Elephants In Kerala

Live Law  

While dealing with an Intervention Application in a petition concerning captive elephants in the State of Kerala on Tuesday, the Supreme Court orally remarked that certain issues were best dealt with High Courts as the High Courts were more aware of local conditions of a State. Further, the Supreme Court bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice …

'Religious Sentiments Must At Times Yield To Reason And Animal's Point Of View': Madras HC Admonishes Practice Of Mistreatment Of Temple Elephants, Issues Directions
3 years, 6 months ago

'Religious Sentiments Must At Times Yield To Reason And Animal's Point Of View': Madras HC Admonishes Practice Of Mistreatment Of Temple Elephants, Issues Directions

Live Law  

The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to prepare a catalogue of all captive elephants in the State. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu was adjudicating upon a plea filed by activist Rangarajan Narasimhan over the alleged inhumane treatment of captive elephants kept in temples across the State. Furthermore, …

Thrissur may host big elephant fete
5 years, 3 months ago

Thrissur may host big elephant fete

The Hindu  

The Tourism Department will organise an elephant festival, which will witness a line-up of 300 elephants, at Thekkinkadu Maidan in Thrissur, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has said. The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the 13th State conference of the Elephant Owners Federation at Kousthubham Auditorium here on Saturday. We cannot bring about a blanket ban on elephant parading in the …

54-yr-old elephant Thechikottukavu Ramachandran, banned for killing 2 in Guruvayur this year, takes part in Thrissur 'Pooram' festival
5 years, 10 months ago

54-yr-old elephant Thechikottukavu Ramachandran, banned for killing 2 in Guruvayur this year, takes part in Thrissur 'Pooram' festival

Firstpost  

Kerala’s tallest elephant Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran participated in the famed Thrissur ‘Pooram’ on Sunday after it was given conditional nod on Saturday to participate in the festival after clearing a fitness test. Thrissur: Kerala’s tallest elephant Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran participated in the famed Thrissur ‘Pooram’ on Sunday after it was given conditional nod on Saturday to participate in the festival after clearing …

Thrissur: SC notice on jumbo race
6 years, 4 months ago

Thrissur: SC notice on jumbo race

Deccan Chronicle  

Thrissur: The Supreme Court has ordered to send legal notice to the Guruvayur Devaswom managing committee based on a petition to ban the annual elephant race at Guruvayur temple. “The petition to ban the annual jumbo race was filed several months ago and the SC took it up for hearing on Thursday. The WRRC counsel told the court about the …

10 Elephants Dead, Kerala Forest Department Finally Admits Laxity
6 years, 10 months ago

10 Elephants Dead, Kerala Forest Department Finally Admits Laxity

The Quint  

Saying that laxity in implementing the rules have been cited as a reason for the alarming rise in the number of captive elephant deaths in the state, the CWW directed the forest officials to closely monitor the implementation of the rules. Elephants that are in high demand are likely to be overworked, the circular points out, adding that such animals …

HC for ban on fireworks, elephant parade
8 years, 10 months ago

HC for ban on fireworks, elephant parade

The Hindu  

The Kerala High Court on Friday observed that it was high time that the State government banned the use of fireworks, involving explosive substances, and parading of elephants in connection with religious festivals and ceremonies. Justice P. Ubaid made the observation while dismissing the bail petitions filed by 40 accused, including the Puttingal temple committee members, in the Paravur fireworks …

Temple boards threaten to curtail Thrissur Pooram
8 years, 11 months ago

Temple boards threaten to curtail Thrissur Pooram

The Hindu  

All eyes are on the Kerala High Court, as Thursday’s hearing of the case on fireworks display will decide the fate of the Thrissur Pooram festival. The High Court’s interim order banning high-decibel fireworks between sunset and sunrise, on a petition filed by Justice V. Chidambaresh, has raised concerns over the conduct of the festival on April 17 and 18. …

Supreme Court to decide if using elephants for joyrides is cruel
9 years, 3 months ago

Supreme Court to decide if using elephants for joyrides is cruel

Firstpost  

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre, Rajasthan and Goa on pleas alleging that cruelty is being meted out to elephants. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre, Rajasthan and Goa on pleas alleging that cruelty is being meted out to elephants used for joyrides in these states. Earlier, the court had …

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