The Hindu : 'Gopikannan' emerges winner in elephant race

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

'Gopikannan' emerges winner in elephant race

By Our Staff Reporter

GURUVAYUR FEB. 15. `Gopikannan', a 25-year old elephant, emerged first in the elephant race that was held at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple today to mark the beginning of the ten-day long festival here.

Even though 42 elephants had lined up at the starting point of the race at Manjulal, only seven actually participated in the race which was conducted amid tight security. Only the mahouts were allowed to run behind the racing elephants, and the public were restricted from entering the `race track'. However, some of the devotees tried to break the cordon and run along with the elephants, but the police and Devaswom authorities persuaded them to stay back. The participation of the cub elephant `Krishna' in the race added to the enthusiasm of the crowd. Finally, when the race reached the temple gate only five were allowed inside, and among them `Gopikannan' completed the seven rounds around the sanctum sanctorum and touched the flag mast first.

The elephant `Kannan' was the second to achieve the feat. As per the legends, the origin of the elephant race in Guruvayur can be traced back to the ego clashes between the rulers of the erstwhile princely state of Kochi and the Zamorins of Kozhikode. The Guruvayur temple belonged to the Zamorins but the elephants for the festival there used to come from Kochi. But on one occasion, when the ties between these two rulers were strained, the King of Kochi banned the participation of any elephants from his region in the festival. And the Zamorin was forced to conduct the morning `Seeveli' that year without elephants.

But by noon, elephants trooped in to the Guruvayur temple from the Thrikkannamathilakam Temple near Kodungallur in Kochi State.

Legend has it that the elephants had snapped their chains and come to Guruvayur on their own. It is to mark this `event' that the elephant race is conducted every year in Guruvayur on the beginning day of the festival. On this day the temple authorities conduct the `Seeveli' without elephants. In a year, this is the only day when `Seeveli' is conducted without the procession of caparisoned elephants in Guruvayur.

The flag hoisting for the festival will be held later tonight, and there will be numerous cultural programmes during the next ten days in the temple as part of the festival.

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