Jayalalitha likely to donate tusker on Sunday

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR, JUNE 6. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. J. Jayalalitha, is scheduled to donate an elephant, called `Kirangade Kannan', as an offering to the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple on Sunday.

The Guruvayur Devaswom authorities told The Hindu here that they would permit her to make the offering on Sunday itself by speeding up many procedures, provided she is able to produce the ownership certificate and the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Forest Department by then.

Hectic efforts are going on behind scenes to ensure that the ritual of donating the elephant known as the `Nadakkiruthal' is held on Sunday as advised by her astrologer, Mr. Unnikrishna Panikker of Parappanangadi in Malappuram district.

Her agents had earlier identified the elephant owned by Mr. Mohandas of Vadakkanchery in the district for offering to the temple. The elephant, which is about 180 cm high, is nearly 12 years old and was brought to Kerala from Arunachal Pradesh about two months back on behalf of Mr Kirangade Vasudevan Namboodiri, near Vadakkanchery.

A team Ms. Jayalalitha's associated had come here from Chennai today and the deal for the purchase of the elephant was finalised after the veterinarians and forest officials accompanying the team expressed satisfaction over the health of the animal.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has already obtained the sanction of the Guruvayur devaswom authorities for donating the elephant. As per the normal procedure, she has to obtain related certificates on the elephant from the Forest Department and then submit a formal application for making the offering.

The Devaswom Managing Committee then has to approve the application and subsequently ask its team of elephant experts to verify its health status before the conduct of the Nadakkiruthal ritual. Some of the committee members have reportedly seen the elephant and expressed their satisfaction regarding its health.

However in this case, the administrator, Mr. Satheesh, has obtained an informal sanction from the chairman, Mr. Venugopala Kurup, and other committee members to go ahead with the procedures so that ``the desire of the Chief Minister of another State to make an offering to the Guruvayur Temple will not be obstructed.''

The devaswom committee will later ratify the decision to accept the elephant offering in its scheduled meeting to be held on Monday.

Efforts are being made to speed up the certification process by the Forest authorities in the State regarding the ownership and history of the elephant. The team sent by Ms. Jayalalitha, which included a veterinarian from Poes Garden, the director of Museum in Chennai and an assistant forest conservator have proceeded to Thiruvananthapuram to complete the formalities at the earliest.

Ms. Jayalalitha's associates have reportedly contacted the office of the Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, to enlist his cooperation in speeding up the certificate issuing procedures.

According to the information received here, Ms. Jayalalitha is to make an offering at the Hanumankavu Temple at Alathiyur near Thirur in Malappuram district and also at the Rajarajeswara Temple at Thaliparamba in Kannur district. Being a woman, she would be permitted to enter the temple only at night after the `athazhapooja' as per the temple custom.

After making the offering of `Ponninkudam' at the temple, she is expected to come back to Kozhikode, and return to Chennai from there on Monday morning.

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Section  : Southern States
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