Following an application by the Jain Math, Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Math (Karvir), seeking permission to recall severely arthritic and mentally disturbed elephant Madhuri (also known as Mahadevi) from Vantara’s Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTEWT) rehabilitation facility in Jamnagar to parade her for a month in Nandani village processions, PETA India has submitted new video evidence to members of the Supreme Court appointed High-Powered Committee (HPC) and the Chief Wildlife Warden of Maharashtra apparently showing elephant Madhuri suddenly attacking a man while being used in a religious procession in a village on 13 May 2022. The incident occurred while individuals were riding on her back, and the footage shows her being jabbed and beaten for it. The Math’s unreasonable demand comes despite Madhuri’s painful health ailments documented by the HPC elephant experts and other veterinarians.
Disturbed 36-year-old female elephant Madhuri, arrived at Vantara’s RKTEWT in Jamnagar on 30 July 2025 for a new life after spending 33 years alone and in chains. The move came after Hon’ble Supreme Court of India upheld an order of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court to provide relief to Madhuri on account of her deteriorated health and psychological suffering. Despite this, due to the Jain Math’s refusal to release Madhuri calmly per court order, locals were incited to hurl hundreds of rocks at the police, PETA India and RKTEWT staff, resulting in broken car windows, wounds and a PETA India staff member sustaining a serious rib injury.
At the math, Madhuri, who was suffering from multiple painful foot ailments from constantly standing on concrete, was paraded through noisy processions and controlled with weapons like an ankush (hooked iron rod).
Elephants regularly lash out from loneliness and physical and psychological torment in captivity. Madhuri has repeatedly expressed her frustration by attacking humans, even killing the Chief Priest of the Math in 2017 by repeatedly slamming him against the wall.
Recognising Madhuri’s psychological distress in these conditions, the Bhattarak Math initially intended to rehabilitate her. However, their position shifted, as they began to rent her out for Muharram and other events.
At RKTEWT, Madhuri is now emotionally bonded with another rescued elephant after spending years alone at the Math. Yet the math has asked for her to be sent back to be paraded for processions, which means subjecting her to physical and emotional distress.
PETA India and Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO) have each offered a mechanical elephant to the Jain Math, for use in the temple rituals and encourage all temples to choose humane mechanical elephants in place of living elephants for animal welfare and human well-being. Recently, the Thousand Pillars Jain Temple in Karnataka became the first Jain temple in the world to welcome this technology with PETA India’s help.
Please join us in urging both the Chief Minister and the Forest Minister of Maharashtra to protect Madhuri by ensuring that she remains at the sanctuary, and encouraging the Math to accept a mechanical elephant for the processions.