THRISSUR : With large trees of different varieties providing essential shade, sufficient availability of water and vast open spaces, Punnathur Kotta is an ideal spot for Guruvayoorappan’s gentle giants. Yet, despite the conducive environment, the number of elephants being managed here has been declining with each passing year. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it housed 63 pachyderms. Now, Asia’s once largest elephant sanctuary has 36.

This shrinking number has both elephant fans and devotees concerned. From the earlier practice of new elephants bought by devotees being offered at the Guruvayur temple, the ritual, known as ‘nadayiruthal’, is now limited to the residents of Punnathur Kotta.

The temple ‘ooralan’ leads the ceremony. The custom itself is unique in that the jumbo being offered is made to sit on a woolen carpet, adorned with ‘kalabham’ on its forehead and flower garlands. Due to restrictions on the capture and ownership wild elephants, nadayiruthal has taken on a symbolic significance.

Now, devotees can offer elephants owned by the devaswom for a set fee. A nadayiruthal now costs Rs 10 lakh. Every year, the temple plays host to at least three symbolic offerings of elephants. According to records, the first symbolic nadayiruthal was held at Guruvayur in May 1984. Guruvayur Devaswom chairman V K Vijayan said, “So far, the devaswom has not faced issues with non-availability of elephants for rituals. However, with no new elephants being offered for nadayiruthal, it could be a concern in the future. There has been no initiative to address the problem.”

Manoj Ezhupadi, a former deputy administrator who managed Punnathur Kotta, said that many of the devaswom’s elephants have captured the hearts of devotees with their individual characteristics.