Valiyaveettil Manikandan and Ithithanam GuruvayoorappanThrissur/Nedumkunnam: Wednesday was a sad day for elephant lovers in Kerala. Two of their favorite pachyderms, Ithithanam Guruvayoorappan and Valiyaveettil Manikandan, died just hours apart owing to illness.
Both the jumbos were star attractions of temple festivals across the state.
Ithithanam Guruvayoorappan, who was in musth, breathed his last during a bathing session. Owned by a native of Ithithanam in Changanassery near Kottayam, he arrived in Thrissur recently after being rented out to a man hailing from Chembuthara near Pattikkad.
The nine-and-a-foot-tall tusker was a regular presence at the pageant of caparisoned elephants held in connection with the Thrissur Pooram festival. He was also used for several temple festivals in Palakkad and Thrissur districts.
The 40-year-old Manikandan, who was undergoing treatment for chronic indigestion, died around 2 p.m. He was owned by Valiyaveettil Sudhi of Nedumkunnam.
He had stopped eating or moving for about a week before his death. His condition worsened following a bout of vomiting around noon. He had died before Changanassery-based veterinary surgeon Dr. Unnikrishnan arrived.
The elephant was about 9.25 ft. tall and had only a single tusk. He was used only for temple ceremonies and festivals, the owner said.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted on Thursday in the presence of officials from the Forests and Wildlife Department. The body will be cremated on the premises of the owner’s house.
