PHOTO / WORLD
Sri Lanka mourns death of famous Indian tusker
By Xinhua Published: Mar 08, 2022 10:48 AM
People mourn the death of the ceremonial tusker Nadungamuwa Raja in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2022. Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous ceremonial tusker Nadungamuwa Raja, which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness. The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.(Photo: Xinhua)

People mourn the death of the ceremonial tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja" in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2022. Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous ceremonial tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja," which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness. The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
People mourn the death of the ceremonial tusker Nadungamuwa Raja in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2022. Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous ceremonial tusker Nadungamuwa Raja, which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness. The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.(Photo: Xinhua)

People mourn the death of the ceremonial tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja" in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2022. Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous ceremonial tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja," which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness. The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
People mourn the death of the ceremonial tusker Nadungamuwa Raja in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2022. Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous ceremonial tusker Nadungamuwa Raja, which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness. The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.(Photo: Xinhua)

People mourn the death of the ceremonial tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja" in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2022. Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous ceremonial tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja," which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness. The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
A girl mourns the death of the ceremonial tusker Nadungamuwa Raja in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2022. Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous ceremonial tusker Nadungamuwa Raja, which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness. The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.(Photo: Xinhua)

A girl mourns the death of the ceremonial tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja" in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on March 7, 2022. Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous ceremonial tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja," which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness. The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
Sri Lankan citizens on Monday mourned the death of the famous Indian tusker "Nadungamuwa Raja," which died in the early hours of the day following a brief illness.

The elephant was in its sixties at the time of its death.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed officials to name the deceased tusker as a national treasure and preserve its body for future generations.

Wildlife officials said the animal, towering 10.5 feet in height, was a celebrated pachyderm and the tallest tamed tusker in the country.

The elephant also had its own armed guards and had for years participated in the Buddhist religious parade known as the Esala Perahera in Kandy.

Elephants, as sacred animals in Sri Lanka, often participate in religious ceremonies and rituals.