THRISSUR: As the Asian Games return to the spotlight in Japan, the story of an elephant calf who became one of the most recognisable faces of the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi comes alive once again. Kuttinarayanan, a young elephant from Guruvayur and the official mascot of the 1982 edition, was among the nine elephants of the Guruvayur Devaswom taken to Delhi as part of a 34-member elephant contingent from Keralam.
The elephants were transported to the national capital by a special train for the Games. The journey itself was an extraordinary undertaking, with the animals, mahouts and support teams travelling thousands of kilometres from Keralam to Delhi. Among the elephants was three-year-old Kuttinarayanan, who had been offered to Guruvayurappan in 1980 by K K Narayanan of Palakkad.
The darling animal soon became a special attraction. The images of Appu travelled far beyond the stadiums and sporting venues of Delhi. Newspapers carried his photographs, while Doordarshan brought the young elephant into homes across the country. One of the most memorable images from that period was of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi affectionately touching the elephant. Rajiv Gandhi too was photographed approaching and interacting with Appu.
For a young elephant from Guruvayur, it was an extraordinary moment. He had travelled from the temple town of Kerala to become the face of one of Asia’s biggest sporting events.
When the Games ended, Kuttinarayanan returned to Guruvayur with his mahout Selvaraj. He was later housed at Punnathur Kotta, the famous elephant sanctuary of the Guruvayur Devaswom, where he continued to attract the attention of devotees and visitors.
But the life of ‘Asiad Appu’ gradually took a painful turn.
As Kuttinarayanan grew, it became clear that he would not develop tusks. He was identified as a makhna – a male elephant without tusks. He was also known for his unpredictable and sometimes mischievous behaviour.
In 1992, while being taken for a procession near Wadakkanchery, Kuttinarayanan met with an accident and fell into a pit. He suffered serious injuries to his forelegs. The injuries permanently affected his movement, leaving him unable to bend his forelegs normally.
His later years were marked by increasing physical difficulties. He walked with his forelegs held stiffly and struggled even with basic movements. He could not comfortably lie down to sleep and often had to sleep standing. If he fell, he was unable to get up without assistance. On such occasions, a crane had to be used to lift him back onto his feet.
The elephant who had once been watched by millions eventually spent his final years far removed from the glamour and excitement that had surrounded him in Delhi.
Kuttinarayanan died on May 14, 2005.
More than four decades after the 1982 edition, the event has returned to the headlines, with Japan hosting. Medals, records and sporting triumphs once again dominate the Games’ narrative.
But somewhere in that history remains the story of a young elephant from Guruvayur – of Kuttinarayanan, who became ‘Asiad Appu’ in the glare of the Games, returned home as a celebrity and eventually lived through years of physical suffering.
Mascot of 1982
Kuttinarayanan, a young elephant from Guruvayur and the official mascot of the 1982 edition, was among the nine elephants of the Guruvayur Devaswom taken to Delhi as part of a 34-member elephant contingent from Keralam transported by a special train for the Games. The darling animal soon became a special attraction. One of the most memorable images from that period was of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi affectionately touching the elephant. Rajiv Gandhi too was photographed approaching and interacting with Appu
