Kerala: Beloved elephant passes away at Kochi temple festival

India Jan 02, 2026

Nellyakkattu Mahadevan, aged around 55, sadly died on Friday after collapsing at the Thirunettoor Mahadeva temple in Kochi.
He was brought in for a festival parade but seemed unwell and wasn't included.
While being moved back to his caregivers around 4pm he collapsed and passed away.

Lifelong care and what's next

Mahadevan had been looked after by a family running an Ayurveda eye hospital for two decades, with owner Tony Thomas from Poonjar. Officials say he was regularly monitored.
A post-mortem is set for Saturday to find out what happened, and cremation will take place near Malayattoor.
Fun fact: Mahadevan was reportedly featured in the Malayalam movie Thuruppgulan.