Elephant from Kolhapur to Carry Bibi ka Alam

Hyderabad: The State government has accorded permission for the use of elephant for Muharram procession to be taken out next week. The order was issued by the Special Chief Secretary to Government, Environment, Forests, Science and Technology.

The HEH The Nizam’s Religious Trust, Purani Haveli, which is the custodian of the Bibi Ka Alam along with other organisations had submitted a representation to the government to accord permission for use of elephant.

An elephant, Madhuri aged 38 years from Kolhapur will be used to carry the Bibi ka Alam standard during the procession on the 10 of Muharram month scheduled next Friday. The costs involved in bringing elephant for the procession are taken care of by Telangana State Wakf Board following a representation of Riyaz ul Hassan Effandi, AIMIM MLC.

Madhuri is expected to reach Hyderabad on Friday and will be housed at Khilwat Palace Aashoorkhana located near Charminar bus stand.

In 2020, the elephant was not brought for the procession in view of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions while the previous year, an elephant Sudha from Bijapur (Karnataka) was used for carrying the Bibi ka Alam, said Syed Ali Jaffery of Telangana Elephant Welfare Rehabilitation Society.

For decades Rajini, the elephant owned by the HEH The Nizam’s Trust and kept in Nehru Zoological Park was used for carrying the standard during the procession. However, following an observation of the court that ‘captive elephant cannot be kept in zoo and used for religious procession’, the jumbo is not being used in any religious procession including Bonalu, Muharram, Rajab festival or any other processions.

Since then, organisers of various processions are bringing elephants from other States across the country to organise processions.

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