Madras High Court orders Tamil Nadu to frame rules for temple elephants

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to formulate a standard operating procedure governing the use of elephants in temple festivals and religious functions. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan ordered the Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to first constitute a Joint Working Group.

The group is to include the Chief Wildlife Warden, the HR&CE Commissioner and expert veterinary officers. It must prepare a comprehensive SOP and place the draft before the court by October 30, 2026. The court said the rules should require veterinary fitness certification, physical inspection and verification of microchips or DNA profiles before an elephant is allowed to participate in a festival.

District-level committees should also be established to approve participation, with animals registered and cleared in advance. The proposed rules must set limits on transportation, including maximum travel durations, mandatory rest periods, veterinary support during transit and the use of specialised vehicles. They must also address crowd safety by establishing physical buffer zones and setting limits for loudspeakers and firecrackers.

The Bench directed that elephants should not be displayed close to pyrotechnics and that standards should be created for handlers and mahouts. It called for verification of qualified mahouts and a prohibition on heavy tethering, spiked chains and other forms of physical cruelty. The order followed a public-interest petition filed by Seva Trust.

The judges acknowledged the cultural and religious significance of elephants in Tamil Nadu but said their use in ceremonies could not operate without legal safeguards. They stated that religious traditions must comply with constitutional values, statutory protections and the duty to show compassion to living creatures.