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Gajarajan Guruvayur Kesavan (death: December 2, 1976)〔http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.org/kesavan.html〕 is perhaps the most famous and celebrated captive elephant in Kerala, southern India. Kesavan was donated to the Guruvayur Hindu temple by the royal family of Nilambur in 1916.〔(The Hindu : National : `Guruvayur Kesavan' remembered )〕 It is a common Hindu custom in Kerala to donate elephants to the deity of the temple as an offering. Guruvayur temple has very good facilities at Punnathurkotta to maintain all of these elephants, now totaling 60 in number. Standing over 3.2 meters tall, Kesavan was known for his devout behavior. Kesavan died on December 2, 1976 aged 72, which happened to be Guruvayur Ekadasi, considered a very auspicious day. He fasted for the entire day and dropped down facing the direction of the temple with his trunk raised as a mark of prostration. The anniversary of his death is still celebrated in Guruvauyur. Many elephants line up before the statue and the chief elephant garlands it. Kesavan was conferred the unique title "Gajarajan" (Elephant King), by the Guruvayoor Devaswom. The Guruvayoor Devaswom erected a life-size statue of Keshavan in its precincts as tribute to the services he rendered to the presiding deity of the temple. Its tusks, along with a majestic portrait of the elephant, can be still seen adorning the entrance to the main temple enclosure. Its life is the subject of the 1977 Malayalam feature film ''Guruvayur Kesavan'', released the year after his death. The film was directed by Bharathan, starring M. G. Soman, Adoor Bhasi, Sankaradi, Bahadoor, Jayabharathi, Vennira Aadai Nirmala (ushakumari), Veeran, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, junior sheela, M S Nambudiri, N Govindankutty, Paravoor Bharathan and Manavalan Joseph zoomed by Ashok Kumar (cinematographer). The story of Guruvayoor Kesavan was later portrayed in a television serial on Surya TV, (2009—2010). ==See also== * Cultural depictions of elephants * Elephants in Kerala culture * Guruvayur Temple * List of individual elephants * Kolakolli, a notorious rogue elephant 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Guruvayur Keshavan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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