Next time when devotees throng the Thrikkayil Mahadeva Temple at Kochi, they will be blessed by Mahadevan, an elephant resplendent in his golden Nettippattam and other paraphernalia like Aalavattam, Venchamaram and of course the coloured umbrella. As the devotees chant the panchakshara sloka "Nama Shivaya" and "Shivashtakam", Mahadevan, standing three meters tall and weighing 800 kg would clap his ears and wag his tail. He will also bless the devotees by placing his trunk on their heads. The pilgrims can rest assured that Mahadevan would not do anything to upset them.

So what makes Mahadevan different from elephants in other temples? He is a mechanical elephant and a peace loving one. "There will not be any threat to the devotees or for that matter anybody because of him. He enjoys the offerings placed in front of him and blesses all those who come in search of divine blessings," Khushboo Gupta, Director of Advocacy Projects, PETA India, working on animal rights and safety.

This is a major relief to festival aficionados across Kerala where elephants paraded in front of temples misbehaving because of factors like psychological issues or musth. When the pachyderms come under the spell of musth, they run amok and attack whoever comes in front of them. The elephant Mahadevan does not belong to this category.

Gupta told The Pioneer that this is the second elephant which is being offered to temples in the State. A major controversy is about parading elephants during temple festivals (known in Malayalam as Pooram) that are held during February to May. "The scorching summer heat takes a heavy toll on the pachyderms and some of them become violent causing major disasters. They are forced to stand throughout the day as musicians play the percussion instruments. It is a matter of prestige for the temple authorities to parade as many elephants as possible," said Gupta.

According to Ramesh, an elephant lover from Palakkad, the Arattupuzha Pooram in Thrissur showcases nearly 80 elephants every year while the Thrissur Pooram has a parade featuring 70 elephants. Animal lovers have been crying foul over the cruelty meted out to these innocent animals which are expected to live in dense forests eating wild grass and drinking water from the streams.

Elephants, which are forced out of their "residential areas" in deep forest because of deforestation and encroachments by human beings, come to the periphery of the jungles in search of food and water.

But the ingenious humans blame the animals for trespassing into their settlements, a process by which  the victims are blamed as aggressors.

South Indian actress Priya Mani too joined the PETA in its endeavour to make the festivals a dignified event. Authorities of the Thrikkayil Mahadeva Temple are ready to rent out the services of Mahadevan to other temples so that devotees in those regions  too could enjoy a peaceful festival. Now, the mechanical elephants would make critics of "live" elephants  keep their mouths shut.