Guruvayur Kesavan’s renovated statue unveiled

A renovated statue of elephant Guruvayur Kesavan was formally dedicated on Sunday. The ceremony was held at around 9:15 a.m. in the courtyard of Sreevalsam Guest House.

Devaswom chairperson V. K. Vijayan led the dedication and unveiled the plaque. Temple Tantri P. C. Dineshan Namboothirippad lit the ceremonial lamp. Devaswom board members, sculptor Elavally Nandan, Manikandan Nair and family, who offered the renovation work, and devotees were present.

The chairperson also presented mementos to Mr. Nandan and Mr. Nair for their contributions to the restoration.

The renovation, led by Mr. Nandan, took nearly three and a half months. Much of the original statue was dismantled and rebuilt.

Kesavan had passed away on December 2, 1976, and the previous statue was installed on November 23, 1982. Since its installation, there had been criticism that the sculpture did not accurately capture Kesavan’s likeness. Damage to the statue prompted a renovation attempt in 2022, but the revamped version again drew criticism for distortion. The devaswom board then decided to completely rebuild the statue. Work began in the second week of August.