Story of Nawam Raja

Story of Nawam Raja

“Nawam Raja” was gifted by and Indian national to local Buddhist monk. It was brought up at the Gangaramaya Temple ( A very famous temple at Colombo ). On 23^rd July 1988 in ran along the Dharmapala Mawatha ( A road near the temple ) Green path roundabout in Colombo chasing his mahout. The Buddhist priest from Gangaramaya was able to calm it down by giving some sweet to eat.

A few days later Nawam Raja was taken to Kandy. He carried the sacred casket at the Kandy Esala Perahera. Next day the elephants were chained in an area between Diyawadena Nilame’s (the office of chief lay custodian of Temple of the Tooth, Kandy) residence and the “Dalada Maligawa” (Temple of the Tooth) after their bath. The mahouts fed them with kitul and other leaves which they ate their eagerly. In the evening one mahout Somarathne came with a nine year old baby elephant to tie in its usual place and found Nawam Raja was chained there. He asked the keeper “Dingiri Mahattaya” to remove Raja from that spot. As he removed the chain from the back leg of “Nawam Raja” and bend again to remove a small branch entangled with the chain. The elephant turned and knocked him over with his tusk gored him and flung him up to the electric wire. Then other mahouts threw stoned at the furious elephants, and he stepped back.

“Dingiri Mahattaya” fell behind a large log that lay in the corner. Then the elephant come looking for him again. The keepers threw stones and removed “Dingiri Mahattaya.”

“Dingiri mahattaya” didn’t utter a world or scream during the attack. The injured mahout was rushed to the hospital in a police jeep but he succumbed to his injuries. It was believed that “Nawam Raja” was still in must and this was the reason for aggressiveness.