Are we the problem if we watch the elephants in Perahera - or is that a European argument we imported
We came for the 5th Kumbal. Then a reel about chained tuskers and heat. I do not want to skip a religious festival I flew for and I also do not want to be the person who clapped at a welfare mess. Is there a less-ugly way to watch.
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3 Answers from travellers
The Perahera is a religious procession, not a zoo show, and the elephants are part of a very old, contested practice. You will see decoration, you will see fatigue, you will see care from some mahouts and not others. Standing quietly on the pavement is not the same as paying for a circus ride. If the welfare question will ruin the night, watch from further back, do not chase tuskers with a flash, do not feed, and do not buy a "photo with the elephant" after.
We watched, we felt complicated, we did not leave. I would not pretend it is a sanctuary.
The relic casket is the point of the procession. Behave like a guest at a temple, not a reviewer.
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