KOCHI: The mighty Thechikottukavu Ramachandran’s past has caught up with him and has put a question mark on his future. The district administrations in Central Kerala are wary of allowing the elephant to participate in the festivals.
Ernakulam district administration on Tuesday temporarily banned the one-eyed elephant, which is the tallest jumbo as per Kerala Forest Department’s records, from taking part in the festivals in the district. The ban was imposed after taking into account the danger the jumbo posed to the lives of the public.
According to District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla, Kerala Captive Elephant Maintenance Rule stipulates that no injured elephant is to be paraded in processions.
“Any further decision on this matter will be taken only after studying the report submitted by the veterinary doctor deputed by the chief wildlife warden,” he said.
According to V K Venkitachalam, secretary of Heritage Animal Task Force, the elephant had been banned from taking part in festivals for at least six times in the past due to its violent nature. Thechikottukavu Ramachandran attained notoriety after killing as many as 11 people including four women and six mahouts.
“The elephant had killed three during the Thaippooyam festivities at Koottumadam Sreesubramanya Swami Temple in Ernakulam in 2013,” said Venkitachalam.
Following the killings, the jumbo was sent to Kodanad elephant shelter, where it remained for nearly one-and-half months. It was released from the shelter after its owners submitted a surety of Rs 30 lakh in accordance with a court decree.
The 52-year-old elephant, which stands over 10 feet tall, lost an eye allegedly due to the ill-treatment meted out to it by the mahouts.
However, the elephant has a great fan following since it is deemed as the biggest captive tusker in the country. The elephant still fetches record amount as ekkam (rent) per procession at temple festivals.
Born in Bihar in 1964, Moti Prasad was brought to the state when he was 18-years-old. The tusker which was sold to Venkitadri Swami in Thrissur was bought by Thechikkottu Kavu temple in Peramangalam in 1984. Its impressive vital statistics acted in its favour.
The gigantic jumbo which has 18 toe nails, a trunk that touches the ground, broad forehead, fleshy long body and firm footsteps has won many titles such as Gaja Kesari, Gaja Smarat, Gaja Chakravarti and so on.
The elephant was in news a couple of years ago after pieces of blade were found in its food. However, the police ruled out foul play and termed the allegations as false. They said the mahouts cooked up the story due to rivalry among them. The main mahout of the elephant had allegedly committed suicide following the incident.