Guruvayur Padmanabhan

Gajaratnam Guruvayur Padmanabhan (c. 1940 — 26 February 2020) was the chief of the elephants in the Guruvayur Krishna Temple after the famous Guruvayur Keshavan died in 1976.[1]

Guruvayur Padmanabhan
Guruvayur Padmanabhan
SpeciesElephas maximus (Asian Elephant)
SexMale
Bornc. 1940
Nilambur forest, Kerala
Died26 February 2020
Guruvayur
Nation fromIndia
Known forThrissur Pooram, other Poorams
PredecessorGuruvayur Keshavan
OwnerGuruvayur Devaswom
Height2.98 m (9 ft 9 in)
Named afterPadmanabhan

Padmanabhan, who belonged to the Guruvayur Devaswom had the distinction of carrying the Thidambu of Mahavishnu for 66 years.[2] Padmanabhan was born at in the Nilambur forests, from where he was brought to Alathur, Palakkad before being taken to Ottappalam. He was offered to the Guruvayur temple in 1954, as a 14-year-old. Padmanabhan, who regularly attended Thrissur Pooram, spent the night of the Thiruvambadi sector in the late nineties.[3]

This elephant is also known for receiving the highest amount of money that an elephant can get for a festival in Kerala.[4] In connection with the Nemmara Vallangi festival held in April 2004, Vallangi Desam donated a sum of Rs.2,22,222 to Padmanabhan.[5] On 26 February 2020, at the age of 80, Padmanabhan died due to age related problems.[6][7]

Gajaraja titles
  • Gaja Ratnam: The Guruvayoor Devaswom honored Padmanabhan with the title of Gaja Ratnam in 2002.[8]
  • Gaja Chakraborty: On Sunday, 11 January 2009, Shri. K. Radhakrishnan honored Padmanabhan with the title of Emperor Gaja. The then Guruvayur Devaswom Chairman Shri Thottathil Raveendran, who was present at the function, received the title from the Speaker.[9]

References
  1. Anand, Priyadershini S& Shilpa Nair (3 March 2020). "Guruvayur Padmanabhan: The elephant who posed like a film star". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  2. "ഗുരുവായൂർ പത്മനാഭൻ ആനകളിലെ ദൈവമായതങ്ങിനെ?| Guruvayoor Padmanabhan legend king of elephant". malayalam.news18.com (in Malayalam). Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  3. "മരുന്നുകളോട് പ്രതികരിക്കാതെ ഗുരുവായൂർ പത്മനാഭൻ; ആരോഗ്യനിലയിൽ ആശങ്ക!". malayalam.samayam.com (in Malayalam). Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  4. "Gajaratnam Guruvayur Padmanabhan- The Guruvayur temple elephant dies - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  5. "ഓർമത്തീയിലെരിഞ്ഞു, ഗുരുവായൂർ പത്മനാഭൻ". www.manoramaonline.com (in Malayalam). Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  6. "Gajarajaratnam Guruvayur Padmanabhan dead". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  7. "Thousands bid farewell to tusker Guruvayur Padmanabhan". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  8. "Guruvayoor padmanabhan | ഗുരുവായൂർ പത്മനാഭൻ ചെരിഞ്ഞു; വിടവാങ്ങിയത് ആനപ്രേമികളുടെയും ഭക്തരുടെയും ആരാധനപാത്രം | celebrity elephant guruvayoor padmanabhan passes away". malayalam.news18.com. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  9. "ഗജരത്‌നം ഗുരുവായൂർ പത്മനാഭന് വിട". Twentyfournews.com (in Malayalam). 27 February 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
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