Efforts on at Kolhapur’s Nandani Math to welcome Mahadevi

Kolhapur: Efforts to bring elephant Mahadevi, alias Madhuri, back from Vantara in Gujarat to the Nandani Jain Math in Kolhapur have intensified, with the Math claiming rapid infrastructure upgrades, even as Peta India termed the proposed shift premature and questioned compliance with court directives.A joint inspection by officials from the Maharashtra chief wildlife warden’s office, the Central Zoo Authority and a veterinary expert from the Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee (HPC), along with a Peta India representative, was scheduled to review the facilities at the Math. On June 23, the HPC also directed that a detailed report on the proposed upgrades be submitted within 20 days.Sagar Shambushete, trustee of the Nandani Jain Math, said construction work has been expedited to prepare for Mahadevi’s possible return.

“For the past 15 days, teams from the Nandani Math and the Vantara Foundation have been refurbishing both older and newer facilities on the premises. Once the work gets finished, Mahadevi would have a suitable home with all necessary amenities,” he said.He added that a hydrotherapy pond is being built to help the elephant cope with extreme heat and improve her health, with excavation already complete and concreting work set to begin.

However, Peta India said no clearance has been granted by the HPC and that the Bombay high court’s order mandating Mahadevi’s rehabilitation at Vantara remains in force.Peta India’s vice-president Khushboo Gupta said the proposed plan raised serious welfare concerns. “A distressed, isolated elephant cannot offer blessings, only harm. In Madhuri’s case, years of suffering and isolation allegedly culminated in the 2017 death of the Nandani Math’s chief priest,” she said.Gupta added that returning the elephant to the Math would undo her rehabilitation. She said separating Mahadevi from her bond with another elephant and the medical care available at Vantara would be “a betrayal rather than devotion.”The issue has remained contentious since Mahadevi was relocated to Vantara’s facility in Jamnagar on July 29, 2025, following court orders. The transfer had triggered protests and political intervention, prompting the Math, state govt and Vantara to approach the HPC seeking a review of her return.