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The elephant died on October 4, coincidentally on World Animal Day, leaving thousands of elephant lovers and temple festival enthusiasts across Kerala grieving.
The elephant died on October 4.
Five years ago, a video clip of an elephant from Kerala bidding farewell to his late mahout went viral across various platforms. In it, we see an elephant walking down a lane to the verandah of a house to see his 74-year-old mahout’s body before it is taken for the last rites.
The elephant stands in front of the house and raises his trunk twice in front of the body of his mahout, Kunnakkad Damodaran Nair of Lakkattoor in Kottayam district, fondly called Omanachettan by the natives.
Soon, Nair’s son, Rajesh, steps out of the house to pat the tusker before resting his head on his tusk. Then a scream from the relatives surrounds the premises, and all those gathered around move to tears. After a few moments, the pachyderm retreats from the courtyard, after paying one last salute to his mahout by once again raising his trunk.
Now, the tusker Pallattu Brahmadathan, known for his elegant looks and calm temperament, is no more. The elephant died on October 4, coincidentally on World Animal Day, leaving thousands of elephant lovers and temple festival enthusiasts across Kerala grieving.
The tragedy came after he was struck by lightning while resting in a temporary shed near the residence of his owner, Rajesh Pallattu, at Melampara, near Erattupetta in Kottayam district on Sunday evening. Having recently completed his musth period, Brahmadathan had been resting there for the past month.
Standing at an impressive 10 feet 2 inches, his striking physical presence and exceptionally calm temperament made Brahmadathan an integral feature of major temple festivals across central Kerala. He was a prominent participant in legendary festivals, carrying Thidambu, the sacred deity, on his head. This included the Paramekkavu temple’s participation in the Thrissur Pooram, including the famous night Pooram in 2015.
The tusker’s journey to becoming one of Kerala’s most celebrated elephants began 28 years ago. Originally a working timber elephant in the dense forests of Arunachal Pradesh, he was brought to Kerala by brothers Pothan Varghese and Chacko of Papalaparambil House in Puthuppally, Kottayam. He was renamed Pallattu Brahmadathan 16 years ago when his ownership was transferred to the Pallattu family.
Thousands of elephant lovers gathered at Melampara on October 5 to bid adieu to the tusker, who had brought joy to Kerala’s festival grounds for several years.
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Kerala, India, India
October 05, 2026, 7:41 PM IST
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