On December 2, 2024, for the fifth edition of Dubai Gadgudi at Etisalat Academy Ground in Dubai, four elephants were paraded in all their festive Regelia. Slowly flowing, shaking their heads, fluttering their ears and rotating their tail, these were a vision to see the jumbo. One thing, however, these mechanical elephants were created by two Kerala-based companies.

Parade elephants in religious processions is a matter of pride for organizers and participants in Kerala. These parades are usually not an occurrence, but late, attacks by captive elephants, (especially in the first two months of 2025), there have been five deaths in Kerala. Despite the opposition, elephants are being used in high stress events that cause fireworks and loudspeakers, there is a crowd of people and abuse, which often triggers these attacks.

Some temples in Kerala have voluntarily moved into mechanical elephants as the rules of paradising an elephant in a temple have become strict as a result of attacks.

Chalakudy- Four He Arts Cromings are one of the first Kerala companies to make these mechanical elephants. Three elephants of Dubai Garib were created by him.

Four childhood friends – Prashant Prakashan, Santo Jose, Jinesh KM and Robin MR – made their first elephant, Kuttapai about 15 years ago. Built in six months, Kuttappayai was six and a half feet long. As long as Kutappayai, with his bobbing head and dominated trunk, a swinging tail and flapping ears were ready, it was Santo’s sister’s wedding. Just for a Lark, friends decided to put Kuttapai on a platform at the site.

“He became the main attraction of marriage! People then wanted to hire Kuttpai for their actions, exhibitions, shop openings, etc., and in Chalakudi, “Prashant says. After that four friends made motorized dinosaurs, the jungle Book And Huge demon-The idols of the moon, which they still do today.

Workers were engaged in making machonical elephants in four art works in Chalakudi. , Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

Currently cut. The underdeveloped Kutatappi is a matter of the past. Friends have graduated mechanical elephants to parade in temples, putting on the shows at resorts and other commercial places. Till now he has created 46-odd elephants not only for customers in India, but also for Dubai, Singapore, Kenya and the United States. His four jumbo are part of a circus in Spain. Not only are they cruel-free, they are less maintenance and can be rented.

Donated by PETA

Prashant and his friends were recently in the news as the Peepal for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with Sitarwadi Anushka Shankar, donated the mechanical elephant Kombra Kannan made by four hey art works to Kombra Kannan at Kombra Sri Krishna Swamy Temple near Irinjalkuda.

Kombra Kannan with Prasant Pravashan, Santo Jose, Jinesh KM and Robin Sri. Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

So far they have made three elephants for PETA, which the organization has donated to temples in Kerala.

By road, the Semi Open-Air Production Unit looks small. But inside, a glimpse of some ‘elephants’ reveals a very large space.

A ‘mold’ is being read, while a technician works on an elephant’s head. Its trunk is a series of metal pieces that are okay to give it flexibility and some other workers are depicting details on a headless ‘elephant’. “There are no ready elephants yet. Till now we have created elephants for six-high temples in Kerala! “When he started it was only four of them, now he has more than a dozen activists.

In addition to four HERS, Emakar alias Soraj Nambiat, 34 km from Kochi, is also making mechanical elephants. The day we meet, Soraj is overseeing 10 feet mechanical jumbo for a temple in Kottayam. Although he had been making statues of popular captive elephants since 2007, Soraj’s force in Robot Jambos is recently like last year. They have made two elephants for PETA.

A worker puts the material simultaneously that will become a section of a mechanical elephant’s head photo credits: Thulasi Kakkat

In Soraj’s studio, 10-foot has been led to Kottayam, getting ready.

Yatsavam The weather is a busy time for these elephant makers.

Robotic elephant

While the Pacific and friendly mechanical elephants a post graduate in fine arts from RLV College, Tripunithura, make elephants in the similarity of elephants, without the closer elephants, if demanding customers, they make mechanical elephants. “Customers say about Pampdi Rajan, there are different characteristics of elephants that people want for these. But of course you cannot say these elephants in the name of a living person. We improve … So we have robotic Raman, ”says Soraj.

In 2024, this elephant was the fourth mechanical elephant in Dubai poor, and was called Dubai Raman. He created a mechanical replica of an elephant, who recently died for a temple in Massuru.

Says Prashant, “We make a normal elephant because people are superstitious about making idols of those things/who are still living.”

The four -hey art works received their first order for Dubai Garib in 2018, which was seen online by the organizers thanks to a video of Kuttpai.

Although Dubai poor order for three elephants was placed in 2018-19, elephants eventually agreed in December 2020. That year, the three elephants were paraded to the poor. Dubai is a Dubai-sanskrit of the poor famous Thrissur poor.

“These electric -powered elephants are made of fiber and are usually sent internationally to containers. The elephant is ‘cut’ in four sections – head, body, front legs and Hind legs. They are then assembled at the destination. For example, we went to Dubai for this purpose, but could not go to Tampa in America or in Spain because we did not get our visa in time, ”says Prashant. However, he went to Kenya to conduct a study on an African elephant that he was building for a temple there.

Aanamaker’s Sooraj Nambiatt with one of his elephant sculptures | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

While the eight-foot elephants weigh less than 300 kg, 10-foot weighs less than 500 kg. Prices for these range from ₹ 3.5 lakh to ₹ 5 lakh (four on art works and Emakar). The rates are fixed based on the movement of body parts – the head, eyes, ears fluttering, trunk (flowing/spraying water), tail, and organs – can be adapted. A motorized elephant with all features is the most expensive. Expansion on elephants, is surprising just below the eyelids and hair on the tail. They can bear the weight of four people sitting on them. These are applied on wheelbase for ease of movement.

Start of Kombra Sri Krishna Swamy Temple from the workshop about the visit to Kombra Kannan. Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

“We can also build rubber completely, but it will cost around ₹ 7 lakhs. It will look very natural! Santo says.

Make a jumbo

Made of fiber, aries, rubber, foam and metal, can be carried anywhere from a month to 45 days to make motor-operated jumbo. The work first begins with steel square pipe and an elephant -shaped frame of iron rod, which is then covered with cement, on which the fiber is inserted and set. Once it is set, the mold breaks, the signs made on the body are smooth and attached to the head.

“Since these elephants were not built here, we have to experiment with materials and procedures. Santo says, “Most of the use we use are now locally citrus except electric/mechanical components, which are purchased online. They still continue to experiment with materials. While the body is made of fiber, the ear is made of ‘rubber clothes’ which are made from hiding. While the santo is available. Santo and Ginash are working in apolo tires, the chalakkudi, pragmatic and genius are worked in the tires. HE Arts works throughout the time in Creation.

A mechanical elephant is waiting for the finishing touch. Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

The captive elephants in Kerala have a dedicated fan. Elephant lover or Unaccounted When it comes to the popularity of elephants paraded in temples, it is a force. Some popular ‘stars’ have run Amok and attacked people during these festivals. Mechanical elephants are seen as diluting the tradition; The manufacturers are getting backlash. “We are not forcing temples to buy elephants from us. They are coming to us for these, ”says Prashant. Interestingly, Prashant and Soraj have customers from Kerala, especially outside North India.

The Kombara Temple has not used a living elephant for the procession of its temple since 2015 due to cost and pain of captive elephants. The temple president, Ravi Nambothiri, says of accepting the mechanical elephant, “Never rent an elephant for our rituals and festivals in honor of our decision or the owner of our own, we are absolutely thrilled to accept a mechanical elephant.” [from PETA]All the works of God deserve love and respect! ,

Soraj says, “Perhaps this is the time when we went on mechanical elephants.” Treatment from them is not best. Elephants can have a lot of fans, but they are not treated like pets. They can be fed on time and bathing, and may be taken care of but do these elephants behave well? I have seen its dark side. “Once, he says, there were 1,000-odd captive elephants in Kerala, many of which were paraded in temples, said,” But today there are 200 or left, and most of them are over 50 years old. ” How long can you do [real] Elephants are paraded anyway? ,