Mangalamkunnu Karnan
Mangalamkunnu Karnan was one of the most popular and admired elephants in Kerala. He was especially famous for his impressive head posture during temple processions and Poorams. His ability to keep his head raised for a long time earned him the affectionate title “Nilavinte Thampuran”, meaning the emperor of heights.
Karnan had a large following among elephant lovers and was a familiar presence at temple festivals in Kerala. He remained one of the most memorable elephants associated with the Mangalamkunnu family.
Mangalamkunnu Karnan History
Mangalamkunnu Karnan was originally from Bihar and was brought to Kerala in the late 1980s. Contemporary reports state that he arrived in Kerala in 1989, while some later accounts give a different year, so I would use 1989 rather than a more specific claim about his early history.
After arriving in Kerala, he was associated with the Manissery family and was known as Manissery Karnan for a period. He was later purchased by the Mangalamkunnu family and became known as Mangalamkunnu Karnan. Sources differ slightly on the exact year of this transfer, with reports placing it around the early 2000s.
Karnan became famous for his distinctive ability to raise and hold his head high during temple processions. This made him a popular participant in Thalappokkam, or head-raising competitions. Reports state that he won the head-raising competition at Sreekumara Ganesha Temple in Chakkumarassery for nine consecutive years.
He was also a popular elephant at Poorams and other temple festivals and developed a large following among elephant enthusiasts. Kerala Tourism has also listed Karnan among the well-known elephants of the Mangalamkunnu Elephant Home.
Mangalamkunnu Karnan died on 28 January 2021. Reports at the time said he had been suffering from age-related health problems, and an initial assessment suggested cardiac arrest. He was later cremated in the Walayar forest area.
Karnan is still remembered by elephant lovers for his calm nature, impressive presence and, above all, the distinctive head-raising posture that made him one of Kerala's most recognisable festival elephants.
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| Mangalamkunnu Karnan HD photos |
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Karnan is my favourite.
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