Gaja Raja Mutthashi Dhakshayani breathes her last at 89

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Gaja Raja Dakshyanai, the name of the elephant which had entered the Guinness records for being the oldest female elephant in Asia, died on Tuesday. She was 89. She was the oldest among captive elephants in the world and the oldest elephant owned by Travancore Devaswom board.

The elephant died at the elephant house at Pappanamkode Malamelkunnu Sathyan Nagar. The end came on Tuesday at 4:30 pm.

Dakshayani, who had received Gajaraja Muthassi honour was the elephant of Thiruvananthapuram Chenkallur Mahadeva temple. She received Gajaraja pattam and Guinness record in 2016.

She was brought to Travancore palace from Konni elephant house at the age of 5. Later Devaswom board got it from the palace.

It was first kept at Attingal Thiruvarattukavu temple and from there, it was later shifted to Chenkallur Mahadeva temple.
This was the elephant that was paraded for maximum number of times under Travancore Devaswom board. For more than 50 years she had been paraded at Shangmugham Devi temple. She had also been a regular participant in Padmanabha Swamy temple Arattu festival.

The cremation of Dakshayani will take place at a Pappanamkode land owned by the Devaswom board at around 10 am on Wednesday. Social Forestry CCF A R Ani said that the social forestry department will receive grinding molars of the elephant.