You are viewing Gajaratnam Bastian Vinaya Sankar, a mighty domesticated elephant at Cherpu Village in Thrissur (former Trichur) district of Kerala, India.

In Malayalam, Gajaratnam means the ‘Gem of Elephants’. Gajaratnam and Gajarajan are titles conferred to elephants with auspicious looks by organizations of elephant lovers in the state.

Vinaya Sankar is regarded as the fourth best domesticated elephant in the state. Long tail that touches the ground and wide ears are only some features that make him a favourite of pachyderm lovers.

Elephant loving state
There is hardly any place in the world where elephants are loved, revered and groomed as in Kerala.

Fondly called as the ‘sons of the Sahya mountains’, elephants play a major role in the cultural life of Kerala. Apart from being a well-preserved animal genus, elephants are owned by individuals and temples.

It is assumed that there are more than 700 captive elephants in the state.