Pallatt Brahmadathan, a 65-year-old tusker known at temple festivals across Kerala, died after lightning struck near Erattupetta in Kottayam district on Sunday evening, The Hindu reported.
The incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. during heavy rain. Brahmadathan was tethered near the home of his owner, Rajesh Pallatt, in Melampara, where he had been resting after a bout of musth, a periodic condition in male elephants.
Originally brought to Kerala from Bihar, the nearly 10-foot-tall elephant was a familiar presence at festivals and among elephant enthusiasts. He had carried the main deity’s idol during the late-night Pooram procession of Paramekkavu Devaswom at Thrissur Pooram.
People began arriving at the owner’s residence after news of the death spread, The Hindu reported. Admirers knew the elephant by the honorific Gaja Kausthubham Pallatt Brahmadathan.