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Added basic entry more to come

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{{Short description|Male Asian elephant in Kerala, India (died 1917)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox animal
| name = Chengalloor Ranganathan
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| species = ''[[Elephas maximus]]'' (Asian Elephant)
| breed =
| gender = Male
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date = 1917
| death_place = [[Thrissur]]
| resting_place = [[Thrissur Zoo|State Museum & Zoo, Thrissur]]
| resting_place_coordinates =
| relativeage =
| nationality = India
| occupation =
| employer =
| years_active = 1906-1914
| known = [[Arattupuzha Pooram]], other [[Pooram]]s
| predecessor = Poomully Shekharan<ref name=Mathrub/>
| successor =
| owner = Parameshwaran Namboodiri of Chengalloor Mana
| weight =
| height = {{height|m=3.45|precision=0}}
| namedafter = [[Ranganatha]]
| website =
}}
'''Chengalloor Ranganathan''' (died 1917) was a male [[Asian elephant]] in [[Kerala]], India, which is believed to have been the tallest [[Captive elephants|captive elephant]] in Asia.<ref name=Saju2022>{{cite news |last1=Saju |first1=M. T |title=New Malayalam documentary on 'the tallest elephant to have lived in Asia' |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/new-malayalam-documentary-on-thrissur-chengalloor-ranganathan-the-tallest-elephant-in-asia/article65774692.ece |access-date=22 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825121119/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/new-malayalam-documentary-on-thrissur-chengalloor-ranganathan-the-tallest-elephant-in-asia/article65774692.ece|archive-date=25 August 2022 |work=The Hindu |date=19 August 2022 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=12.5 അടി, ഉയരം പരിക്കുകളേല്‍പ്പിച്ച രംഗനാഥന്‍, 105 വര്‍ഷം മുന്‍പ് തൃശൂരില്‍ ചെരിഞ്ഞ ഏഷ്യയിലെ വലിപ്പമേറിയ ആന, അസ്ഥികള്‍ ഇന്നും ഭദ്രം |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/malayalam/kerala/state/thrissur/chengallur-ranganadhan-tallest-elephant-skeleton-in-museum/kerala20220818121227881881904 |access-date=23 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825121344/https://www.etvbharat.com/malayalam/kerala/state/thrissur/chengallur-ranganadhan-tallest-elephant-skeleton-in-museum/kerala20220818121227881881904|archive-date=25 August 2022|work=ETV Bharat News |date=18 August 2022}}</ref>

== Life ==
Ranganathan was originally a [[temple elephant]] with the [[Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam|Ranganatha Swamy temple]] in [[Tiruchirappalli]], [[Madras Presidency]]. The temple had acquired him when still a calf and used him for daily chores but as he grew taller, he was unable to enter through the inner gates of the temple. This and the fact that elephants are not a part of [[Temple festivals of Kerala|temple festivals]] in [[Tamil Nadu]] made him a liability for the temple which then decided to sell him. In 1905, he was acquired from the [[Srirangam|Sreerangam Devaswom]] by Parameshwaran Namboodiri of Chengalloor Mana in Thrissur for a price of Rs.1,500. It is believed that the elephant walked the distance from Tiruchirappalli to Thrissur over several months.<ref name=Saju2022/><ref name=Thriss>{{cite news |title=Imposing skeleton structure of tallest elephant greets visitors at Thrissur museum |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/english/national/bharat/the-skeleton-of-asias-tallest-elephant-died-in-1917-on-display-at-thrissur-museum/na20220818214543580580863 |access-date=22 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825121619/https://www.etvbharat.com/english/national/bharat/the-skeleton-of-asias-tallest-elephant-died-in-1917-on-display-at-thrissur-museum/na20220818214543580580863|archive-date=25 August 2022 |work=ETV Bharat News |date=18 August 2022}}</ref> From 1906 to 1914, he carried the main idol during the [[Arattupuzha Pooram]] and was part of the [[Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple|Thiruvambady]] faction of the [[Thrissur Pooram]]. In 1914, during the Arattupuzha Pooram he was grievously gored by the tusker Akavoor Govindan. Following this incident, he was moved to Chengalloor Mana where he underwent prolonged treatment for his injuries, but died in 1917.<ref name=Mathrub>{{cite news |title=1917-ൽ ചരിഞ്ഞു, കേരളത്തിലെ മിക്ക ഉത്സവങ്ങളുടെയും ആവേശം; ആനത്തറവാട്ടിൽ രംഗനാഥനും എത്തുന്നു |url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/special-pages/thrissur-pooram-2022/chengallur-ranganathan-1.7488392 |access-date=22 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824170736/https://www.mathrubhumi.com/special-pages/thrissur-pooram-2022/chengallur-ranganathan-1.7488392|archive-date=24 August 2022 |work=Mathrubhumi |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Saju2022/>

== Museum exhibit==
On learning of the imminent death of Ranganathan, officials at the [[Government Museum, Chennai|Madras Museum]] sought to acquire his [[skeleton]] for mounting it as an exhibit. Ranganathan's owners consented to this request and upon his death, he was buried in a [[Elephants' graveyard|large pit]] with chemicals to aid his quick decomposition. The skeleton was subsequently excavated with each bone being numbered for the purpose of its reconstruction. The skeleton was then obtained by the [[Thrissur Zoo|Thrissur Museum]] from Madras and was reassembled and installed in the main hall of the museum where it continues to be a major attraction.<ref name=Thriss/><ref>{{cite web |title=Multi-purpose Museum |url=https://www.museumandzoo.kerala.gov.in/index.php/multi-purpose-museum |website=Department of Museums and Zoos |access-date=22 August 2022 |language=en-gb |archive-date=22 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822121014/https://www.museumandzoo.kerala.gov.in/index.php/multi-purpose-museum |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pradeep |first1=K. |title=Jumbo Love of V. M. Balachandran who spent his life observing elephants |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/jumbo-love-of-v-m-balachandran-who-spent-his-life-observing-elephants/article8426507.ece |access-date=22 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824165759/https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/jumbo-love-of-v-m-balachandran-who-spent-his-life-observing-elephants/article8426507.ece|archive-date=24 August 2022|work=The Hindu |date=3 April 2016 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref name=Nair>{{cite news |last=Nair|first=Sushila|title=How elephants form an integral part of the cultural ethos in God's own country |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-elephants-form-integral-part-cultural-ethos-god-s-own-country-131117 |access-date=22 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825151636/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-elephants-form-integral-part-cultural-ethos-god-s-own-country-131117|archive-date=25 August 2022|work=The News Minute |date=19 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

== Physical attributes==
Ranganatha's skeleton is {{cvt|345|cm}} in height which makes him nearly {{cvt|30|cm}} taller than [[Thechikottukavu Ramachandran]], the tallest living captive elephant in India.<ref name=Saju2022/> Ranganathan was widely admired by elephant lovers in Kerala.<ref name=Nair/><ref>{{cite news |title=ഗുരുവായൂര്‍ കേശവന്റെ പ്രതിമ ഇനി ഗണേഷ് ഫോര്‍ട്ടിലും; മറ്റ് കരിവീരന്മാരുടെ പ്രതിമകളും ഇവിടെ തലയുയര്‍ത്തും |url=https://www.janmabhumi.in/news/thrissur/the-statue-of-guruvayoor-keshavan-is-now-in-ganesh-fort |access-date=22 August 2022 |work=Janmabhumi |language=en}}</ref>

== In popular culture==
The [[Malayalam poetry|Malayalam poet]] [[Vallathol Narayana Menon]] wrote a verse in honour of Ranganathan.<ref name=Thriss/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Antony |first1=Biju |title=Mathrubhumi - ആനച്ചന്തം {{!}} മ്യൂസിയത്തില്‍ ഇന്നും 'ജീവിക്കുന്ന' രംഗനാഥന്‍ |url=http://sv1.mathrubhumi.com/static/others/special/story.php?id=36484 |access-date=23 August 2022 |work=Mathrubhumi |date=29 March 2009}}</ref> As of 2022 a {{convert|12|ft|5|in|cm|abbr=on}} statue of Ranganathan is under construction at the elephant management, treatment-cum-conservation centre at Ganesh Fort in [[Chittanda]], Thrissur, which on completion would be the largest statue of an elephant in India.<ref name=Mathrub/> ''Ranganathan: Search for the Height — An Art Documentary'' is a 2022 documentary film on the elephant by Sooraj Nambiat and Sony Narayanan.<ref name=Saju2022/>

== References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Elephants in Indian culture]]
[[Category:Elephants in Kerala]]
[[Category:Individual elephants in India]]
[[Category:1917 animal deaths]]
[[Category:Elephants in Hinduism]]

Chengalloor Ranganathan - Revision history

Stuee.Singh: Added basic entry more to come