Several elephant lovers paid a tearful adieu to Sreekanteswaram Sivakumar, a captive elephant managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which died at the Kanthalloor Mahadeva temple at Valiyasala on Thursday following prolonged illness.
Since it was gifted by a devotee to the Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva temple in 1985, the elephant had cultivated a legion of fans and regular visitors, including several children, who used to throng the festivals it took part in. Sivakumar has been a regular participant of the arat processions taken out from the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.
The tusker, believed to have been aged over 70 years, had been ailing for several months. It collapsed on its tethering spot outside the temple two months ago. While it had found it difficult to stand on its own, the elephant had to be lifted using a crane. A similar incident occurred around six months ago, necessitating the assistance of the Fire and Rescue Services.
