Frame SOP governing participation of elephants in temple events, religious functions, Madras HC directs Tamil Nadu government

The Madras High Court on Thursday (October 1, 2026) directed the Tamil Nadu government to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the use of elephants in religious functions and temple festivals strictly in compliance with animal welfare and safety standards.

First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan directed the Environment, Climate Change and Forests secretary and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) secretary to first constitue a Joint Working Group (JWG).

The JWG should consist of the Chief Wildlife Warden, HR&CE Commissioner and expert veterinary officers and it shall draft and submit a comprehensive and standardised SOP governing all aspects related to the participation of elephants in religious events and temple festivals, the Bench ordered.

The judges said, the SOP should provide for pre-festival health & microchip verification process by making it mandatory to obtain veterinary fitness certification, physical inspection, and verification of microchips/DNA profiles prior to granting permission for participation of the pachyderms in any festival.

Concurring with the submissions made by senior counsel V. Raghavachari and S. Prabakaran for Seva Trust which had filed a public interest litigation petition and Special Government Pleader (Forests) Mohammed Fayaz Ali, the judges said, district level committees (DLCs) should also be formed for granting approval.

The Division Bench said, it should be made mandatory for registering the animals and obtaining prior clearance from the DLCs. It also wanted tranportation protocols such as strict regulations with respect to maximum travel duration, compulsory rest intervals, veterinary transit support, and use of specialised transit vehicles.

Authoring the order, the Chief Justice said, the SOP should also cover safety & environmental thresholds by prescribing decible limits for loudspeakers/firecrackers, maintaining safe physical buffer zones between elephants and crowds, and prohibiting the display of elephants in close proximity to pyrotechnics.

Directing the JWG to lay down handler & mahout standards too, the court said there must be verification of qualified mahouts and strict prohibition of heavy tethering, spiked chains, or any form of physical cruelty. The judges ordered that the draft SOP must be placed before the court on October 30, 2026.

“Elephants hold a significant place in the cultural, historical, and religious traditions of the State, where they participate in rituals and processions governed by ancient temple customs. However, the integration of captive animals into religious ceremonies cannot exist in a legal vacuum,” the Bench wrote.

It said: ”Scriptural traditions must strictly accord with constitutional values, statutory safeguards, and the fundamental duty enjoined upon the State and as well as the citizens under Article 51A(g) of the Constitution of India to show compassion to living creatures.”