After 33 years of life in chains and solitude at a Jain monastery in Maharashtra, a 36-year-old female elephant named Mahadevi, also known as Madhuri, has finally begun a new chapter. PETA India has strongly backed the Supreme Court-mandated rehabilitation of elephant Mahadevi, calling it a vital lifeline after decades of isolation, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis vowed to pursue all legal options to return her to Kolhapur.
Her relocation to Vantara’s Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTEWT) in Jamnagar, Gujarat, follows a Supreme Court order that upheld an earlier Bombay High Court ruling calling for her rescue and rehabilitation. The move, however, has been met with resistance.
PETA India On Protests: ‘Politicians Inciting Locals Don’t Represent Heart Of Maharashtrians’
Khushboo Gupta, Director of Advocacy Projects at PETA India, issued a sharp response to political interference in the case, saying, “Politicians inciting some locals into a frenzy do not represent the heart of most Maharashtrians nor Jains who care about animals’ wellbeing. Going against animal welfare is a guaranteed way to lose public support.”
She underlined the suffering endured by Mahadevi, who has stage-4 arthritis, painful foot rot from 33 years of standing on concrete, and severe psychological trauma from prolonged isolation. “She was so desperate for the company of other elephants that she killed the temple’s Chief Swamiji [back in 2017]. Psychologically frustrated elephants often attack,” Gupta told ABP Live.
PETA India has welcomed Mahadevi’s relocation to Vantara’s sanctuary in Jamnagar, saying the facility can provide her with “extensive ponds, hydrotherapy, veterinary care by experts who know how to deal with severely disturbed elephants, but most importantly, an elephant family she so desperately craves.” Gupta added, “PETA India is grateful that Mahadevi is being given a chance at life after decades in solitary confinement.”
Painful Foot Rot, Arthritis, Psychological Trauma: Mahadevi’s Decades Of Suffering
According to PETA India, for most of her life, Mahadevi was confined to a concrete shed at the monastery, tethered and denied companionship or stimulation. She was first brought to the monastery, reportedly from Karnataka, when she was just three years old. Independent veterinary assessments documented her deteriorating condition, painful foot rot, arthritis, overgrown nails, and psychological trauma.
While the monastery had initially shown intent to rehabilitate the elephant, their stance allegedly changed over time. According to PETA India, Mahadevi was then exploited for commercial purposes, rented out for public events including Muharram processions, used for begging, and even forced to carry children in her trunk. A banned metal ankush (hook with a spear) was also used to force her into submission out of fear, practices that allegedly aggravated her physical and mental suffering.
In the tragic episode in 2017, Mahadevi fatally injured the head priest of the monastery by slamming him repeatedly against a wall, an incident PETA India attributed to extreme psychological distress and frustration common in isolated, mistreated elephants.
According to a prior statement, Mahadevi had been unlawfully transported between Maharashtra and Telangana 13 times between 2012 and 2023, without proper permissions. Veterinary inspections in August 2023 reported open wounds, lameness, footpad thinning, and signs of mental distress, ANI reported. On October 20, 2023, Dr Rakesh Chittora of Animal Rahat submitted a detailed medical report advising hospitalisation and rehabilitation, also stating that the mahout lacked basic knowledge of elephant care.
Court Orders Pave Way For Elephant’s Rescue
The High Powered Committee (HPC), constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, took up the matter after PETA India’s formal complaint in October 2023. The HPC initially gave the monastery three months from June 2024 to improve her condition. However, follow-up inspections in June and November found continued violations. The committee ordered her relocation to Vantara on December 27, 2024.
The Bombay High Court dismissed the monastery’s petition on July 16, 2025, and the Supreme Court upheld this on July 28, ordering the elephant’s transfer within two weeks. The apex court noted Mahadevi’s advanced arthritis and overall poor health, stating that the elephant must be transported in a manner that prioritises her comfort and wellbeing.
Vantara has now received her as the court-appointed recipient facility. The sanctuary, which has natural enclosures, expert veterinary care, and an elephant herd, is designed to provide rescued elephants with a healing environment. At Vantara, Mahadevi will receive hydrotherapy and treatment from veterinarians and, perhaps most importantly, companionship with other elephants for the first time in decades.
Maha Government To Pursue ‘Legal Avenues’ For Her Return To Kolhapur
After local protests over her relocation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state government would support efforts to bring the elephant back to Kolhapur. “Taking into consideration the traditions of Nandani Math and the emotional bond of local people with Mahadevi, we will pursue all legal avenues to bring her back,” Fadnavis said, as per a statement issued by his office, PTI reported.
He urged the monastery to include the state as a party in its petition and said a dedicated team, including veterinary experts, would be formed to look after the elephant’s welfare. The state also indicated it may ask the Supreme Court to appoint an independent committee to evaluate all aspects of the issue, and pledged to form a rescue centre-like facility at the monastery if needed.
Criminal cases against protestors involved in violent demonstrations during the relocation will also be withdrawn, Fadnavis said.
PETA India Offers Mechanical Elephants To Jain Monastery; Vantara Slams ‘Misinformation Campaign’
To bridge religious tradition with compassion, both PETA India and the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) have offered to donate mechanical elephants to the Jain monastery. They encouraged all temples to adopt such alternatives for rituals, ensuring both animal welfare and human safety.
Earlier, Vantara, the sanctuary that now houses Mahadevi, clarified through a statement that it did not initiate or request the elephant’s transfer. “It was named as a recipient solely by the High Powered Committee (HPC) based on its capability and track record in elephant welfare,” it said.
“It is regrettable that despite full legal closure, a campaign of misinformation is being run to vilify Vantara and its supporters,” the statement read. “When the highest courts have heard and decided a matter, continuing to attack a neutral party that has merely followed orders is not only unfair, it undermines public faith in judicial process.”
The matter is now listed for compliance reporting before the Supreme Court on August 11.
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