Temple Elephants

When we see an elephant in a temple, we don't pause to think about the cruelty the elephant has had to endure for months or even years to end up here. Nor do we take time to reflect on its future in the temple: chained, often neglected and suffering from malnutrition or even abuse, until it dies a premature death, lonely and cut off from its family in the lush jungles where it was born.

It's ironic that we respect Ganesha as the god of elephants and yet ignore the suffering of temple elephants.

Chained temple elephant
Chained elephants ready for parade

By acquiring elephants from agencies that capture and domesticate the animals, temples become tacit supporters of elephant cruelty. By our apathy and support for temples that imprison elephants, we too become willing accomplices to elephant cruelty.

It is an affront to every devotee of Lord Ganesha that we allow elephants which are his majestic embodiments to be imprisoned, tortured, and deprived of their natural habitats.

Do we want our temples to reflect our core values of kindness and ahimsa or be daily examples of hypocrisy and apathy to cruelty?

Mahouts resting under chained temple elephants
Chained temple elephant

List of Temples with Elephants

Here are some temples that house elephants. Each page enables you to communicate your concerns to the temple.

The list is not exhaustive. If you know of other temples with elephants not mentioned here, help us add it to the list.

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Add your voice to the thousands that care about elephants and are horrified about they are treated.

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