The Raghavendraswamy Mutt in Mantralaya (Andhra Pradesh) will henceforth use a new 300-kg silver elephant for the ‘Gajavahanotsava seva’ of the deity.
The move follows close on the heels of a ban on the use of real elephants in religious institutions, including mutts, by the endowments department of the Andhra Pradesh government banning.
Reports of elephant attacks in some religious institutions of that state paved the way for an official ban. Previously, the Mutt had been making do with a wooden elephant last year.
Suyateendrateertha Swami, the Mutt’s pontiff, will dedicate the elephant to the deity on November 1.
The statue has come with a price tage of Rs two crore, A total of 40 skilled artisans from Vijay Metals in Udupi created the silver jumbo, according to sources at the Mutt .
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