#KK Shali
Chalakudy | It raises its trunks and sways its ears like any tusker. You can fearlessly go close, why even perch yourself on it. This elephant is lifeless and is made of rubber, yet as attractive as a living one.
It took three months for sculptors Prashanth Prakashan Puthuvelil, Santo Pottathuparambil, Jinesh Kaithavalappil and Robin Meppulli to give 'life' to a rubber elephant now on display on the Potta Panampilly College Road in Chalakudy in Thrissur district.
The elephants were readied for being taken to Singapore for the May 28 pooram being organised there. The sculptors will go to Singapore to re-assemble the elephants which will be dismantled into several parts and shipped for the pooram. Already two elephants have been shipped.
The sculpture's features match that of any gusty elephant - outspread ears, long tail with an impressive fan of hair at the end, 18 nails on its feet, height of 10.5 ft and weight of roughly 400 kg - making it an amazing sight.
Four people can comfortably sit on the elephant whose ears, eyes, mouth, tail and trunk move as they are attached to a motor inside. The head can turn and water splashes from the trunk. Wheels are attached under the legs, making movement easy.
Prashant and team have already made nine such elephants so far starting with those for Kailasasramam in Bengaluru and then for the festival at Kallettumkara temple nearby. Such mechanised elephants have 'gone' as far as Dubai, Rajasthan and Pudukottai.
