For the fifth time, tusker Ernakulam Sivakumar will open Sree Vadakkumnnathan Temple’s ‘thekke gopura nada’ carrying the idol of Naithalakkavu Bhagavathy, to kick off Kerala’s renowned Thrissur Pooram festival. The 56-year-old elephant, who performed the proclamation ritual earlier in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, is known for its majestic appeal, standing at 10 feet tall and with its long trunk that kisses the earth with every step. Fans on social media have many names for him, like ‘Azhakiya Sivan,’ and ‘Gajasamrat’ and the elephant enjoys his own celebrity stardom. Still, his calm demeanour is a quality that sets him apart from those like the tusker Thechikottukavu Ramachandran. The elephant’s mahouts, fans and others often speak of how friendly, obedient and soft-tempered he is.
Sivakumar’s story
While Sivakumar enjoys a celebrity status across Kerala, his ‘home’ is the Ernakulathappan Temple of Kochi, says Writer Vinod Kandemkavil, who authored the book ‘Thrissur Pooram.’ “Sivakumar is a desi elephant caught from Kerala forests. He belonged to a family near the Ernakulam Temple, and the elephant used to playfully run around in the temple premises, around the age of three and four. The family had initially bought him to offer to the Guruvayur Temple,” recounts the writer. Apparently, when the date of the ‘nadakkiruthal ceremony,’ where the elephant is offered to the temple, arrived, the family faced some hurdles.
Two more times, they tried to take the elephant to Guruvayur; however, hurdles kept cropping up. “The family approached an astrologer to find the reason, and they were given an interesting explanation. Apparently, ‘Ernakulathappan’ or Lord Siva, the deity of the Ernakulathappan Temple, had already claimed the elephant. Therefore, the elephant remained with the temple and was given the name ‘Ernakulam Sivakumar’ after Lord Siva.
Endured unbearable pain
The elephant was in the news a few years ago as it lost one of its thick tusks, allegedly due to unscientific trimming. For quite a while, the elephant had to endure unbearable pain due to the same. He was fitted with a prosthetic fibre tusk later, though his tusk is now growing again. Despite facing such issues, the elephant, which has become a notable part of many temple festivals across Kerala, is not known to have caused any issues or disruptions at any of the events. The Cochin Devaswom Board owns Sivakumar.
