Narayan Ravi - Mumbai

Pavanapuresha-Series

Pavanapuresha series part 14: Guruvayur Kesavan.

The legendary Guruvayur Kesavan was a great elephant devotee of Lord Guruvayurappa. He was presented as an offering to the Lord by the Nilambur royal family from the Malabar region of Kerala, when he was about 10 yrs old.

Kesavan imbibed all the noble qualities of Guruvayur Padmanabhan, his successor. During temple processions, Kesavan would put forward his front foot only for the priest carrying the Utsava deity & everyone else would have to climb on to his back from behind. Once he was hurrying to Guruvayur, disobeying his mahouts. Everyone was so scared that they all moved out of his way. Only a poor helpless leper could not move away. Onlookers were astonished when he actually lifted the leper and safely placed him by the roadside & proceeded forward.

The golden jubilee of his services as well as his 60th birthday were celebrated on a grand scale. On Dec 2, 1976, Kesavan who was carrying the Lord'sThidambu( the U shaped gold plated decoration mentioned in part 4), suddenly fell ill & the elephant standing nearby took over. He could not stand on his legs. For hours he did not eat or drink anything. Finally he lay down in front of the eastern entrance, with his trunk raised as a gesture of respect & breathed his last. That day happened to be Guruvayur Ekadasi. Kerala's most loved elephant, the 3.2 metre tall Gajaraja Guruvayur Kesavan had become one with the Lord. His tusks were taken out and are displayed today above the entrance to the main shrine.

Even today on every Guruvayur Ekadasi day, the chief elephant garlands Kesavan's 12 ft tall statue in east Guruvayur and a feast for all elephants is arranged. May Kesavan's devotion inspire us & may the Supreme Lord Keshava bless one and all.

Hare Krishna