Thechikottukavu Ramachandran

Uncommon card · No. 127332

Thechikottukavu Ramachandran (born c. 1964), commonly called Raman, is a captive bull Asian elephant owned by the Thechikottukavu Devaswom, which manages the Peramangalam Thechikottukavu Bhagavathy temple in Thrissur district, Kerala. He is reported to be the tallest captive elephant in India and is one of the most sought-after elephants for temple festivals in Kerala, with a large fan following. He performed the Poora Vilambaram ritual that opens Thrissur Pooram each year from 2014 to 2019. Ramachandran is blind in one eye and has failing sight in the other. He has been involved in several fatal incidents at festivals. The figure most often reported is 13 people and three elephants killed, although published estimates vary. He has been barred from public parading on several occasions by the Kerala High Court, the state forest department and the Thrissur district administration, and each restriction has later been lifted or relaxed. Animal welfare groups have campaigned for his retirement...

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