‘Free Joymala’: PETA billboard in Dispur urges CM to rescue elephant from TN temple
PETA says Joymala remains chained and isolated at the Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) Temple in Srivilliputhur, Virudhunagar district
Guwahati, July 31: Appealing for the rescue of Joymala — a 22-year-old female elephant from Assam allegedly held illegally by a temple in Tamil Nadu — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has put up a billboard near Janata Bhawan in Dispur.
The display is aimed at reminding Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the public that Joymala, renamed "Jeymalyatha" in Tamil Nadu, remains chained and isolated at the Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) Temple in Srivilliputhur, Virudhunagar district.
"PETA India urges that Joymala be sent to a sanctuary where she can live unchained, without weapons and in the company of other elephants," A PETA India statement said
Earlier, over 50 veterinarians from across India signed a joint opinion urging that Joymala - a 22-year-old female elephant from Assam, known as Jeymalyatha in Tamil Nadu, be immediately rescued and sent to a sanctuary where she can live unchained, without the threat of weapons, and among other elephants.
The veterinarians, after reviewing videos and documentation of her alleged abuse, concluded that Joymala, currently under the illegal custody of Arulmigu Nachiyar (Andal) Temple in Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu, is mentally and physically distressed and potentially dangerous due to prolonged mistreatment.
Since 2021, several media reports have documented instances of Joymala being severely beaten by mahouts, prompting the Assam government to demand her return.
In 2022, a PETA India inspection at the Krishnan Kovil temple revealed shocking abuse, including the use of pliers by a mahout to control the elephant in front of inspectors.
Joymala has been held at the Tamil Nadu temple for over a decade, despite being only temporarily leased from Assam in 2011.
The Assam government moved the Gauhati High Court in 2022 to facilitate her release. Following a petition by PETA India, the court allowed the organisation to intervene in the case, citing concerns for the elephant’s welfare.
PETA India has also warned that her continued abuse could make her highly unpredictable and dangerous, posing serious risks to her handlers and the public.
In recent years, several incidents involving captive elephants attacking mahouts and devotees have been reported, including six deaths in Kerala in early 2025 alone.