₹80-lakh tusker: Thrikkadavoor Sivaraju, devaswom’s crowning glory

KOLLAM: The mere mention of Gajarajan Thrikkadavoor Sivaraju sparks unparalleled excitement across temple festival grounds. Renowned as the "Lord of the South," this majestic elephant famously carried the sacred idol of the Paramekkavu Bhagavathi Deity during the Thrissur Pooram. As a major revenue generator for the Travancore Devaswom Board, Sivaraju once commanded a staggering record auction price of up to ₹17 lakh for a single procession. In the current festival season alone, he has generated ₹58.56 lakh for the Board’s treasury within just two and a half months, a figure projected to touch ₹70 lakh by the end of the season.

Affectionately regarded as the beloved servant of Lord Mahadeva at the Thrikadavoor temple in Kollam, Sivaraju holds an elite status among elephant lovers, who revere him alongside legendary tuskers like Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran, Pampady Rajan, and Chirakkal Kalidasan. While he consistently generated over ₹80 lakh in previous festival seasons, his appearances this year were capped at 25 festivals due to a minor swelling in his leg. Consequently, bookings were strictly restricted to the Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Alappuzha districts. However, an exception was made for the Thrissur Pooram after the Paramekkavu Devaswom authorities earnestly insisted on his presence to carry the deity's idol.

The 54-year-old tusker was originally purchased from Konni back in 1973, after which devotees offered him to the temple. The base booking fee to feature Gajarajan Thrikkadavoor Shivaraju at private temple festivals stands at ₹2.5 lakh, though competitive bidding often drives the price much higher when multiple organisers vie for his presence. In contrast, his services are offered to Devaswom-managed temples at a subsidised rate of ₹75,000. Among the 21 elephants owned by the Travancore Devaswom Board, Attingal Thiruvarattukavu Kalidas ranks second in stature, commanding a booking fee of ₹1 lakh.

Gajarajan Thrikkadavoor Shivaraju is widely considered a textbook example of an ideal elephant, embodying all the physical virtues detailed in the Matangaleela, the ancient treatise on elephant lore. Standing at an imposing height of ten and a half feet, he possesses a trunk that sweeps the ground, perfectly sculpted tusks, honey-colored eyes, and a prominently high forehead dome. His regal appearance is further enhanced by eighteen nails—traditionally viewed as a sign of prosperity—along with a lush, hairy tail and ears so large they brush against his forehead when flapped.