Thousands participate in silent march to seek Mahadevi's return from Vantara

Kolhapur: Thousands of people participated in a 'silent march' in Kolhapur on Sunday, demanding that 36-year-old female elephant Mahadevi (also called Madhuri), be brought back from Vantara wildlife rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat's Jamnagar district.

Former MP Raju Shetty led the march, which began from Nandani in the morning and culminated outside the district collectorate, where memorandum was given to the authorities to facilitate the elephant’s return.

At a meeting in Kolhapur on Friday, Vantara officials assured that they will cooperate in efforts to bring Mahadevi back to Nandani in Kolhapur district, state health minister Prakash Abitkar had told reporters after the meeting.

Mahadevi, who was with the Shri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Jain ‘math' (monastery) at Nandani for over three decades, was relocated to Vantara's Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust earlier this week following a court ruling.

The Bombay High Court on July 16, ordered Mahadevi to be rehabilitated at Vantara's facility in Jamnagar, after concerns raised by an NGO with the Maharashtra Forest Department and the Supreme Court appointed High-Powered Committee (HPC) on her deteriorated health and psychological suffering.

The Supreme Court on July 25 upheld the HC order.

BJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik and Shiv Sena MP Dhairyasheel Mane, both from Kolhapur district, are working to get the Centre to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court for bringing Mahadevi back, Abitkar said.

Mahadik on Thursday met Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav and submitted a memorandum for bringing back Mahadevi to the Jain monastery in Nandani.

Madhuri's journey at Vantara begins with gentle care and close attention. We're taking the time to understand her: what keeps her calm, what makes her comfortable, and what she enjoys, Vantara said in a post on Instagram.

“It's not just about treatment; it's about helping her settle in, feel at ease, and live life on her own terms. Step by step, at her pace, with the care and respect she truly deserves,” Vantara said.

Mahadevi, who was reportedly brought from Karnataka to the Kolhapur math in 1992 when she was around three years old, allegedly killed the chief priest in 2017 by repeatedly slamming him against a wall.

Mahadevi suffers from foot rot, overgrown toenails, arthritis, and stereotypic behaviour such as constant head bobbing which is a sign of psychological trauma due to long-term solitary captivity.

The Vantara facility offers hydrotherapy, expert veterinary care, and socialisation with other elephants, which the HPC deemed essential for the elephant's recovery.

The last few days have seen several people in Kolhapur porting out their Jio mobile numbers to protest the elephant being taken to Vantara, a local leader said.

Congress MLC Satej Patil said that people of Kolhapur want the elephant back.

More than 2 lakh persons have signed forms demanding Mahadevi's return to the Jain math at Nandani. These forms will be sent to the President's office via speed post from Kolhapur, he said.

Vantara has been developed by Vantara Reliance as part of their large-scale conservation efforts. Spread across around 3,000 acres, the Vantara area offers a secure and natural environment for the care and recovery of rescued animals, reads a description of the facility on Vantara's website.

The Vantara meaning comes from Sanskrit, where "Vana" means forest and "Antara" means within, together signifying “within the forest" or a sanctuary-like space dedicated to animals, it says.

The Vantara owner, Reliance Industries, has made a remarkable contribution to wildlife protection and welfare through this visionary project, the website says.