GURUVAYUR: Guruvayur Devaswom has urged the India Post to release a postal stamp on legendary tusker Guruvayur Kesavan.
Kesavan was the most pious and devotee- friendly tusker among the elephants owned by the devaswom. He was nine years old when the royal family of Nilambur Kovilakam offered him to Sree Guruvayurappan on January 14, 1922.
He had served Sree Guruvayurappan for 54 years. He had never hurt any person but saved the life of many a devotee on several occasions. He died on 'Guruvayur ekadasi day' on December 2, 1976.
The body was buried at the Sreevalsam compound.
A life-size statue of Kesavan sculptured by M R D Dattan was erected above the burial ground. The famous Kesavan statue was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister K Karunakaran in 1986.
Many devotees visit the statue daily to pay their respect to the legendary tusker.
The dasami during Guruvayur Ekadasi is observed as Guruvayur Kesavan commemorative day.
The entire devaswom jumbos led by Kesvan's successor tusker Gajaratnam Guruvayur Padmanabhan arrive at the Sreevalsam compound and pay tributes at the statue of Guruvayur Kesavan.
A Malayalam movie titled 'Guruvayur Kesavan', produced based on the life story of tusker Kesavan, was a big hit of that time.
The devaswom livestock assistant manger A K Unnikrishnan has taken the inititive to get a postal released on Kesavan.
"The devaswom is gathering various details of Kesavan to submit before the India Post," said T V Soman, livestock deputy administrator.