Nawam
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Gangaramaya Temple in Sri Lanka

Biography
dead elephant ☨ ♂ Nawam  dead elephant
Raja in March, 2010. Photo: Diana Sed
Raja in March, 2010. Photo: Diana Sed

Alternative name: Raja (Dhala Puttawa

Identification


Description
Species:Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:Male ♂ 57 years old

People killed:1: mahout Dingiri Mahattaya
Origin
Born:* 1954 wild
Birth place: in India unspecified location
Death
Dead: 2011-07-09
Death reason: unknown:
Locations - owners
Present / last location:Gangaramaya Temple, in Sri Lanka

Date of arrival

Gangaramaya Temple
from Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple of the Tooth

Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple of the Tooth
from Gangaramaya Temple

Gangaramaya Temple
from Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Bahadur

Record history
History of updates2022-09-12

Latest document update2025-03-16 16:06:37

† Nawam is a dead Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 2011-07-09 at Gangaramaya Temple, in Sri Lanka, .

Affiliated people

1: Dingiri Mahattaya (mahout to 1998 )

Casualties

2 casualties
  1. 1998-07-23: mahout Dingiri Mahattaya attacked by Nawam. On Thursday July 23 Navam Raja, an elephant from the Gangaramaya Temple ran amok at the Dharmapala Mawatha/Green Path roundabout in Colombo chasing a keeper, and holding up traffic at the busy junction for half an hour. Dingiri Mahattaya Survived. A priest from the Gangaramaya succeeded in calming him down with offerings of sweets.
  2. 1998-07-31: mahout Dingiri Mahattaya fatal attack by Nawam. He leaned his hook against the wall and removed the chain from the back leg of the elephant. As there was a small branch entangled with the chain, Dingiri Mahattaya bent to remove it. The elephant suddenly knocked him over with his tusk, gored him and flung him up to the electric wire. † Dingiri Mahattaya Died 1998-07-31, Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple of the Tooth, Kandy. All of us, other mahouts who were nearby, pelted the elephant with stones and he stepped back. Dingiri Mahattaya fell behind a large log that lay in the corner. As the elephant came looking for him again, we pelted more stones. We managed to extricate the bleeding Dingiri Mahattaya from the corner.


Origin

Nawam was born wild 1954 at India unspecified location.


Comments / pictures

Ven. Piliyandala Hamuduruwo, a reputed indigenous physician was able to cure an eye disease of a relative of a Maharajah of Mysore. The Maharajah was overjoyed and presented two elephant calves to this monk.

There was one incident in Kandy, were Navam Raja killed Dingiri Mahattaya, its Mahout. He was a person from Godakawela in Rakwana. It was the time when Navam Raja was brought to Kandy for Esala Perahera in Daladha Maligawa.

When Dingiri Mahattaya was trying to un-tie the elephant, the elephant suddenly knocked him down with his Tusks. Then the Tusker has flung him over an electric wire. Dingiri Mathaya fell behind a massive log in the corner. The injured Mahout was rushed to the hospital. However in spite of much effort the Mahout later died.

This sort of behaviour was not common in Navam Raja. Later few elephant experts predicted that this was due to the elephant being in heat, although the Musth behaviour was not distinct in Navam Raja. The Mahout Dingiri Mahattaya was said to like the Tusker so much that had a great faith on the elephant. On the day of his funeral, near his coffin a photograph of Navam Raja was kept.

Tharindu Muthukumarana, Sri Lanka daily news

Nawam in Gangaramaya Temple
Navam raja during Colic in April 2006

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Nawam, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Gangaramaya Temple in Sri Lanka. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 5 April 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=4798. (archived at the Wayback machine)


Sources used for this article is among others:


Litterature about Gangaramaya Temple

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Categories2011 deaths | 1954 births | Born in India | Elephants from Gangaramaya Temple | Sri Lanka | Mankillers | Asian elephants




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