Meet CR Lejumol – boss of 44 Guruvayur elephants

By Specific Information Service

KOCHI: An ardent devotee of Lord Sree Krishna of Guruvayur, CR Lejumol just isn’t petrified of the temple’s elephants. Born right into a household of mahouts, she has been obsessive about elephants and beloved to feed them. Lejumol, who took cost of Guruvayur temple’s Punnathur Kotta on Wednesday, says it’s a blessing from the Lord. She is the primary girl supervisor within the 47-year historical past of the elephant camp.

Punnathur Kotta homes 44 elephants, which have been donated by devotees at totally different durations of time. Lejumol will likely be in control of the elephants’s maintenance. The Punnathur Kotta was a fort owned by an area ruler, which was bought by the Guruvayur Devaswom in 1975 to maintain the temple elephants. The camp is a sprawling inexperienced space unfold throughout 10 acres.

“She should coordinate the 150 staffers together with the mahouts and make sure the wellbeing of elephants,” mentioned temple administrator KP Vinayan. Lejumol’s father Ravindran Nair and father-in-law Sankara Narayanan had retired after years of service as mahouts of the devaswom. Her husband Prasad was additionally a mahout.

Lejumol, who had joined the Guruvayur Devaswom as a decrease division clerk in 1996, was an assistant supervisor within the works division earlier than taking cost of the Kotta. “It’s a nice privilege to take care of Lord Guruvayurappan’s elephants in such an official capability. We now have 44 elephants right here and 150 staff together with mahouts. The devaswom has given contract for the availability of palm leaves, grass and banana stem for the elephants. The amount of meals for every elephant is mounted by veterinarians. Subsequent month, we may have an ayurveda rejuvenation remedy for the elephants,” mentioned Lejumol.

“My obligation consists of guaranteeing deployment of elephants for each day rituals on the temple. Throughout pageant season, we ship round 20 elephants to different temples. When elephants are in masth, we’ve to present them relaxation and choose different elephants after conducting medical checkup,” she mentioned. Lejumol’s sons Akshay Krishnan and Ananthakrishnan are additionally thrilled over their mom’s new job.