Archive · 25 Jan 2026
Kerala temple receives mechanical elephant from Sonakshi Sinha, PETA
A famous Bollywood actor named Sonakshi Sinha and an animal rights group called PETA gave a big, fake elephant to a temple in Kerala, India.
This fake elephant is as tall as a real one and can move its head, ears, and tail.
It can even spray water!
The temple decided to stop using real elephants for their big yearly celebration called Pooram.
Instead, they will use this mechanical elephant for their ceremonies.
This is not the first time PETA has given a fake elephant to a temple.
They have given 19 of these to temples in India, and this is the 10th one in Kerala.
The fake elephant is made of things like rubber, metal, and foam, and it runs on electricity.
Sonakshi Sinha said that this will help make elephants free and safe.
Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha and PETA India donated a life-size mechanical elephant to the Pallipuram Sreekrishna Temple in Kerala.
The mechanical elephant, named Pallipuram Unnikrishnan, is 3 meters tall and weighs 500 kilograms, made of rubber, fiber, metal, mesh, foam, and steel.
The temple previously used 3 to 5 live elephants annually for Pooram celebrations but has now switched to using mechanical elephants for animal welfare and safety reasons.
This is the 19th mechanical elephant donated by PETA India, the 10th in Kerala, and the 6th in Thrissur.
The mechanical elephant can mimic real elephant movements, including shaking its head, moving its ears and eyes, swishing its tail, lifting its trunk, and spraying water.
- Who
- Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha and PETA India
- What
- Donated a life-size mechanical elephant to a Kerala temple
- When
- Unveiled on Sunday (specific date not mentioned)
- Where
- Pallipuram Sreekrishna Temple, Kerala, India
- Why
- To replace live elephants for ceremonies, prioritizing animal welfare and safety of devotees
- Donor
- Sonakshi Sinha and PETA India
- Recipient
- Pallipuram Sreekrishna Temple, Kerala
- Mechanical Elephant Name
- Pallipuram Unnikrishnan
- Dimensions
- 3 meters tall, 500 kilograms
- Materials
- Rubber, fiber, metal, mesh, foam, steel
- Power Source
- Five motors, electrical plug-in
- PETA's Contribution
- 19th mechanical elephant donated by PETA India, 10th in Kerala, 6th in Thrissur