Mortal remains of revered elephant Gajaratnam Guruvayur Padmanabhan of the Guruvayur Devaswom (temple administration) were consigned to flames at a forest land in Kodanad in Ernakulam district on Thursday. Tens of thousands of people paid last respects to the 80-year-old elephant, which stood only second to the legendary Guruvayur Kesavan in knock-out looks, and inspired awe, affection and devotion in equal measures.

Gajaratnam Padmanabhan had breathed its last in peace on Wednesday afternoon at the elephant enclave owned by the Devaswom. The enclave was thrown open through the night on Wednesday for the devotees to pay homage. On Thursday morning, Valiya Kesavan and Nandini, two seniors elephants, paid their tributes on behalf of the 47 others in the enclave. The Devaswom security officials also stood in line in reverence, as the police provided escort.

By 4.30 pm on Thursday, they wheeled into the site identified for cremation in the Kodanad forest belt in Ernakulam district. Forest laws require that an elephant can be cremated only on forest land, not on private land or revenue land. A mandatory post-mortem was carried out, following which the body was covered in a yellow cloth.

Much sought-after in temples

Mounds of firewood, sandalwood, and camphor were placed on the body before being lit as a large number of fans,elephant lovers and locals from nearby Kaladi town watched in silence. Among those in attendance were Kerala Education Minister C Ravindranath; local MLA Roji John; and Municipal Chairperson of Guruvayur, M Rathi. The Devaswom Board postponed a meeting of the governing council as as a mark of respect to the departed elephant.

One of the oldest in the captivity, the tusker was much sought-after during the temple festivals, including the famous Thrissur Pooram. He set up a stellar record for having carried the golden thidambu (decorated image of the deity) at Guruvayur for 66 years. At ₹2.22 lakh, he also holds the record of attracting the highest bid for ezhunnellippu (elaborate procession) at the Vallangi festival at Nenmara in April 2004. A gentle giant in normal times, he was known to throw up tantrums when in musth.

Shared lineage

It is a common Hindu custom to procure elephants either as calves or young adults from the wild and to donate them to the deity of the temple as an offering. Both Gajarajan Kesavan and Gajaratnam Padmanabhan share this lineage. Padmanabhan has been feted by many temples, including the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, which decorated him with a gold medallion.

But in recent times, due to advancing age, his Padmanabhan’s engagements had been restricted to bearing the thidambu at Guruvayur. His last public engagement was on December 8, 2019 —the day of Ekadasi. He had been moved into a special shed after he took ill, was given the best treatment, and examined by expert veterinary doctors every six hours. A special lab of the Veterinary College was set up for him there. KK Sarma, among the best known names in Asia on elephant health and welfare, was called in for consultations. But the best efforts to revive him failed, leaving thousands of prayerful fans and devotees in grief.

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