'In our hearts forever': Mangalamkunnu Karnan passes away at age 60

A popular elephant known for its height and elegance, Mangalamkunnu Karnan, passed away on January 28 at the age of 60. According to local media reports, the tusker was suffering from old age problems from quite some time and his initial medical report said that he died of cardiac arrest. The elephant, who is known for winning many heads-up competitions, will be cremated on Thursday at Walayar forests, Kerala. 

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Mangalamkunnu was owned by Mangalamkunnu Parameswaran and Haridas brothers. The tusker had won many Thalappokkam (heads-up) competitions and he was 302cm tall. Mangalamkunnu also had a huge fan association in the state and his speciality was a confident posture that starts from the beginning till the end of an ezhunnallathu. 

According to reports, back in 1991, Mangalamkunnu was repatriated from Varanasi and brought to Kerala. He was among the most famous elephants of Tharavadu. He had also acted in movies, including ‘Dil Se’, ‘Kathanayagan’ and ‘Narasimham’. 

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Netizens condole Mangalamkunnu’s demise 

Ever since the news of his demise broke, several internet users condoled his death as well. While one user wrote, “A Malayali's love for elephants is unfathomable..You will be in our hearts forever,” another added, “Lord of the Heads. Tributes to Mangalamkunnu Karna”. “Farewell tributes,” wrote third. 

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