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Ceremonial tusker

Nadungamuwa Raja

නැදුන්ගමුවේ රාජා நதுங்கமுவே ராஜா

Deceased

Nadungamuwa Raja
MediaJet · CC BY-SA 4.0

A ceremonial tusker who carried the golden casket of the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Kandy Esala Perahera most years from 2006 to 2021. At about 3.2 m (10.5 ft) he was the tallest tamed tusker in the country, and he travelled to the festival with his own security detail. After his death at Weliweriya on 7 March 2022 he was declared a national treasure and his body was preserved.

Sources

  1. Nadungamuwa Raja — Wikipedia
  2. Ceremonial tusker 'Nadungamuwa Raja' dies — Ada Derana, 7 Mar 2022
  3. 'Nadungamuwa Raja' declared a national treasure — Ada Derana
  4. Most sacred elephant dies aged 68 — Daily FT