Young elephant ‘Durga’ from Assam to reach Madurai Meenakshi temple; activists raise concerns over transfer

A five-year-old elephant named ‘Durga’ from Assam is being brought to the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple in Tamil Nadu and is expected to reach the temple late on Sunday (September 13, 2026). The transfer, cleared by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department last week, comes amid recent proceedings before the Madras High Court over the movement of captive elephants to temples in the State.

Tamil Nadu Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra said the ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) for the transfer was issued last week. “Before the NOC, the District Captive Elephant Management Committee inspected the premises and checked the availability of facilities such as mud bath, water bath and walking space,” he said.