Guruvayur Keshavan
Encyclopedia
Gajarajan Guruvayoor Kesavan (October 24, 1904 - December 2, 1976) is perhaps the most famous and celebrated Elephant of Kerala, South India. Kesavan was donated to the Guruvayoor Hindu
temple by the royal family of Nilambur
in 1916. It is a common Hindu custom in Kerala to donate elephants to the deity of the temple as an offering, Guruvayur temple have a very good facilities to maintain all of these elephants now totaling 60 in number at Punnathurkotta.
Standing over 3.2 meters tall, Kesavan was known for his devout behavior. Kesavan died on "Guruvayur Ekadasi," considered a very auspicious day. He fasted for the entire day and dropped down facing the direction of the temple with his trunk raised as a mark of prostration. The anniversary of his death is still celebrated in Guruvauyur. Many elephants line up before the statue and the chief elephant garlands it. Kesavan was conferred the unique title "Gajarajan" (Elephant King), by the Guruvayoor Devaswom.
The Guruvayoor Devaswom erected a life-size statue of Keshavan in its precincts as tribute to the services he rendered to the presiding deity of the temple. His tusks, along with a majestic portrait of the elephant, can be still seen adorning the entrance to the main temple enclosure. His life is the subject of a Malayalam feature film which bears his name. The story of Guruvayoor Kesavan was later portrayed as a television serial in Surya TV
.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple by the royal family of Nilambur
Nilambur
Nilambur is a municipality and a taluk in the Malappuram district of Kerala, South India. It is famous for its forests, especially its wildlife habitats, rivers, waterfalls and teak plantations. It is situated close to the Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River...
in 1916. It is a common Hindu custom in Kerala to donate elephants to the deity of the temple as an offering, Guruvayur temple have a very good facilities to maintain all of these elephants now totaling 60 in number at Punnathurkotta.
Standing over 3.2 meters tall, Kesavan was known for his devout behavior. Kesavan died on "Guruvayur Ekadasi," considered a very auspicious day. He fasted for the entire day and dropped down facing the direction of the temple with his trunk raised as a mark of prostration. The anniversary of his death is still celebrated in Guruvauyur. Many elephants line up before the statue and the chief elephant garlands it. Kesavan was conferred the unique title "Gajarajan" (Elephant King), by the Guruvayoor Devaswom.
The Guruvayoor Devaswom erected a life-size statue of Keshavan in its precincts as tribute to the services he rendered to the presiding deity of the temple. His tusks, along with a majestic portrait of the elephant, can be still seen adorning the entrance to the main temple enclosure. His life is the subject of a Malayalam feature film which bears his name. The story of Guruvayoor Kesavan was later portrayed as a television serial in Surya TV
Surya TV
Surya TV is a Malayalam television channel in India. Established in 1998 October 7, Surya TV is the first digital channel of India and now the channel is telecasted in MPEG4 format. The channel is in the second position among Malayalam channels. The channel is part of Sun Network and telecast...
.