Indi Raja
Indi Raja, also known as Bashir or Indiraja, is an Indian elephant used as a ceremonial tusker in Sri Lanka. Indiraja is a main casket bearer of the Kandy Esala Perahera, an annual religious procession held to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He is also the leading tusker of the elephant troop at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.
History
The tusker was born around 1980 in India and was gifted to the Temple of the Tooth by Former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi to then president J. R. Jayewardene at a solemn ceremony on February 2, 1988. Indi Raja was around 6 years when he was gifted to Sri Lanka. In his younger days, Indiraja was docile though playful. He is the second most senior elephant in Dalada Maligawa troop, after Janaraja.Perahera procession
When there were no suitable tusker elephants to carry the main casket in 2009 with the absence of other tuskers such as Nadungamuwa Raja and Millangoda Loku Raja, Indi Raja got the opportunity to carry the main casket for the first time for 10 days of the Perahera. Thereafter Indi raja carried the casket of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the Esala Perahera when Nadungamuwe Raja was not participating the procession. In 2014, Indiraja was attacked by another elephant on a side at the corner of Kotugodella Street. However, he walked to the Temple of the Tooth carrying the casket without becoming aggressive. In August 2019, the tusker fell ill during the first kumbal Esala perahera.With the demise of Nadungamuwe Raja in March 2022, Indi Raja became the main casket bearer of Kandy Esala Perahera.