Tusker "Raja" Museum

This is the tusker who most famous one of the srilanka forever

This is the museum for Raja, the great tusker, which carried the Sacred Relic Casket for more than half a century. This establishment and collecection is to show honor to Raja by the Dalada Maligawa by preserving the dead animal’s skin and tusks prepared to look like the tusker when alive. The museum is located in a small building adjacent to the Royal Palace. Also Raja has being declared as a national treasure...

Raja (also known as Maligawa Raja) was a Sri Lankan tusker elephant belonged to the Temple of Tooth, Kandy. Raja participated at the annual Esala procession in Kandy for around 50 years and was the sacred casket bearer of the final Randoli perehera for around 37 years. He was one of the most celebrated elephants in Asia during his lifetime, and was world famous for his noble behavior. On August 20, 1986 former Sri Lankan President J. R. Jayewardene declared Raja as a national treasure, in recognition of his valuable services to the religion and culture of Sri Lanka. Early years: It is believed that Raja was born in the jungles of Eravur in Batticaloa District circa 1913. He was captured along with few other elephants by a group of men. Panikkar is a name given to the men who mastered capturing elephants in the eastern parts of the country. The young elephant Raja had been purchased by Tikiribanda Mampitiya Disawe of Giragama Walauwa in Kandy for 3300 rupees, a huge sum at that time, along with another young elephant named Skanda. With a permit issued by the British government, both the elephants were brought by train to the Kadugannawa railway station and then to the Giragama Walauwa on December 11, 1925. Arambegama Kirihamy was appointed as the mahout of the young elephants. He attached the young elephants to the female elephant he was looking after, who became the foster mother of young elephants. Thanks to wiki. one of best elephant SL had.

The history about great elephant who serve Sri dalada Maligawa

On to the left of the temple is the new building which houses the taxidermised remains of the Maligawa Tusker – Raja. This magnificent tusker was captured in the jungles of Eravur in the Batticaloa District 1925. He was purchased by Tikiri Banda Manampitiya Dissawe for Rs 3,300/- in 1937 and was donated to the temple by him. For over 50 years Raja carried the golden casket which carried the tooth relic and in 1984 he was declared as a national treasure by the government. This is only the second time a tusker has been declared a national treasure. Raja died In 1988 after a long illness and then it was decided that he to be taxidermised. This is first time a tusker has been taxidermised.