View source for Indiraja

{{Short description|Indian elephant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox animal
| name                    = Indi Raja (or Indiraja)
| image                   =
| image_size              =
| caption                 =
| birth_name              =
| othername               =
| species                 = [[Indian Elephant]]
| breed                   =
| gender                  = Male
| birth_date              = {{circa|{{bya|1980}}}}
| birth_place             = [[India]]
| death_date              =
| death_place             =
| role                    = Main casket bearer of the [[Esala Perahera|procession of Esala]]
| predecessor             = [[Nadungamuwa Raja]]
| owner                   = [[Temple of the Tooth|Sri Dalada Maligawa]]
}}
'''Indi Raja''' ({{circa|1980}}: {{langx|si|ඉන්දි රාජා}}), also known as '''Indiraja''', is an [[Indian elephant]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=This time Vasana-Indiraja-Nedungamuwe Raja will not participate in the procession |url=http://www.sinhala.adaderana.lk/news/139419/මෙවර-පෙරහැරට-වාසනා-ඉන්දිරාජා-නැඳුන්ගමුවේ-රාජා-සහභාගී-වීම-අවිනිශ්චිතයි |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=sinhala.adaderana.lk}}</ref> Indiraja is a main casket bearer of the [[Kandy Esala Perahera]], an annual religious procession held to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of [[Buddha]], at the [[Temple of the Tooth]] in [[Kandy]], Sri Lanka, in which he carried the main casket many times.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This time there is a problem about the elephant carrying the Tooth Relic in the procession |url=https://www.gossiplankanews.com/2017/07/dalada-elephant-issue.html |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=Gossip Lanka News}}</ref> He is also the leading tusker of the elephant troop at the Temple of the Tooth.<ref name= worthy>{{Cite web |title=Gentle Giants Worthy of Carrying Relic Casket |url=https://ceylontoday.lk/news/gentle-giants-worthy-of-carrying-relic-casket |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=CeylonToday |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Only five elephants suitable to carry relics: DN |url=https://www.dailymirror.lk/latest_news/Only-five-elephants-suitable-to-carry-relics-DN/342-180451 |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=dailymirror.lk |language=English}}</ref>
==History==
The tusker was born around 1980 in India<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indi Raja profile at Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka - Elephant Encyclopedia and Database |url=https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=4759 |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=elephant.se}}</ref> and was gifted to the Temple of the Tooth by Former Prime Minister of India [[Rajiv Gandhi]] to then-President JR Jayawardena at a solemn ceremony in July 1987.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Nedungamuwe Elephant King and the Elephant Dynasty of Sri Lanka |url=https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/sri-lanka-40764482 |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=BBC News සිංහල |language=si}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lifie.lk |date=2021-04-19 |title=Proud elephants carrying the coffin of the Temple of the Tooth |url=https://www.lifie.lk/2021/04/19/famous-elephants-that-carried-the-sacred-tooth-casket/ |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=Lifie.LK |language=en}}</ref> Indi Raja was only 6 years when he was gifted to Sri Lanka.<ref name= worthy /> In his younger days, Indiraja was docile though playful. He is the second most senior elephant in Dalada Maligawa troop, after Janaraja.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pulasthi Raja gets a royal welcome |url=https://www.ft.lk/ft-lite/Pulasthi-Raja-gets-a-royal-welcome/6-639699 |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=ft.lk |language=English}}</ref>
==Perahera procession==
When there were no tusked elephants to carry the main casket in 2009, the tusker got the opportunity to carry the main casket for 10 days of the Perahera. Since then Indiraja carried the casket of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the Esala Perahera for more than 20 years. In 2014, Indiraja was attacked by another elephant on a side at the corner of Kotugodella Street. However, he walked to the Temple of the Tooth carrying the casket without becoming aggressive.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indiraja who carried the Tooth Relic most times |url=https://www.lankadeepa.lk/features/වැඩිම-වාර-ගණනක්-දළදා-කරඬුව-වැඩම-වූ-ඉන්දිරාජා/2-535363 |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=lankadeepa.lk |language=Sinhala}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dalada Maligawa tuskers dislike Indi Raja |url=https://www.pressreader.com/sri-lanka/daily-mirror-sri-lanka/20140731/281526519192483 |access-date=2022-03-15 |via=PressReader}}</ref> In August 2019, the tusker fell ill during the first kumbal Esala perahera.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TUSKER INDIRA RAJA'S OF THE SRI DALADA MALIGAWA HAS FALLEN SICK |url=https://www.hirunews.lk/english/221641/tusker-indira-rajas-of-the-sri-dalada-maligawa-has-fallen-sick |access-date=2022-03-15|website=HiruNews|language=en}}</ref>
==Rampage==
In 2004, Indiraja suddenly attacked a [[mahout]], Vijaya. The incident occurred at Vilbawa in the Kurunegala district on the banks of a tank where the elephants had been relaxing before the Perahera of Vilbawe Paththini Devala. The mahout was rushed to the Kurunegala Hospital in critical condition. Later, he was transferred to the Kandy Hospital but died two days without regaining consciousness. After the incident, Indiraja was kept in chains with another Maligawa tusker, Sinharaja. At that time, he broke the chains and charged at Sinharaja and pierced Sinharaja's mouth. Indiraja was sedated for a few days.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tusker continues rampage |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/040912/news/11.html |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=sundaytimes.lk}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of individual elephants]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Elephants in Sri Lanka}}
[[Category:Individual elephants in India]]
[[Category:Individual elephants in Sri Lanka]]
{{SriLanka-stub}}