Nadungamuwa Vijaya Raja, also known as simply Nadungamuwa Raja, was an Indian elephant brought to Sri Lanka. He was named after Nadungamuwa, the village in which he resided. For more than a decade, he was the main casket bearer of the procession of Esala, an annual procession held to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, held in Kandy, Sri Lanka. One of the most celebrated elephants in Asia during his lifetime, Nadungamuwa Raja was one of the largest tame elephants in Asia. Following Nadungamuwa Raja's death, the then Sri Lankan former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared Raja a national treasure, in recognition of his valuable services to the religion and culture of Sri Lanka.
Born : 1953 Mysore, India
Died : 7 March 2022
Age : 68 - 69
Height : 11 ft
