Electric elephants and live-stream prayers: Faith goes high-tech

These are just some of the ways that Hinduism is adopting technology like never before.

- Rohini Mohan

BENGALURU - It was a sight that could have caused a mammoth accident. Amid the cars, lorries and motorbikes in Bengaluru city was a mini-lorry with an adult-size elephant, its trunk swaying with the road's curves.

It was only after the signal turned green that many of the people driving around the mini-lorry in September noticed the elephant's glassy, unblinking eyes. This pachyderm was a robot.

A few days later, the specimen was inaugurated as an official temple elephant at the Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy Temple in Yedeyur town, around 100km from Bengaluru, to be paraded during processions, auspicious days and festivals.

The temple priest named it Niranjana - the pure, flawless one. Decked in gold-and-red headdress, his belly marked with holy ash, Niranjana bobbed his head, flapped his ears, and even sprayed water with his trunk. Children squealed with joy. Devotees bowed their heads before the robot, folding their hands in prayer.

Robotic elephants like Niranjana are among the many ways in which Hinduism is adopting technology like never before. Indians are booking temple visits online, paying for prayers, including live streams, through QR codes and making digital donations to temples.

India's very first robotic elephant was dedicated to a Hindu deity in February 2023 in the Sree Krishna temple in Irinjadappilly village, Thrissur district, home to the most iconic live-elephant procession in Kerala. Named Irinjadappilly Raman, the robot has a Facebook fan club, like popular temple tuskers do in the southern state.

"In 2024, in such a technologically advanced era, technology in religion is not only helping us carry on our rituals and cultural beliefs, but also doing it in a safe, kind and compassionate manner," said Ms Khushboo Gupta, director for advocacy and projects at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India, which commissioned the robotic elephant, donated by Malayalam actress Parvathy Thiruvothu.