SC stays Kerala HC directives on jumbo parades at festivals

Sub: History

Sec: Art and culture

Context:

The Supreme Court on Thursday intervened in a dispute between the Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu devaswoms, which organize the annual Thrissur Pooram festival, and the Kerala High Court.

About the case:

In November 2024, the Kerala High Court issued orders concerning the management of elephants at the festival, which included a directive that elephants should maintain an exact three-meter distance from each other during the procession.
The devaswoms argued that the High Court had overstepped its judicial role by issuing festival-specific directives that went beyond the Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2012 issued by the Kerala Government.
The Supreme Court stayed the High court’s directions, emphasizing that they were impractical, as elephants cannot maintain such a distance during the procession.

Thrissur Pooram:

Thrissur Pooram is one of the most famous and grand annual temple festivals in Kerala, celebrated in the city of Thrissur. It involves a grand procession of elephants, traditional music, and a large number of devotees.
It is held in the Malayalam month of Medam (April-May).
Thrissur Pooram was first celebrated in 1798 by Raja Rama Varma, famously known as Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Cochin.
The festival was conceived as a unifying event to bring together the two rival temples of Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi.