President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed to declare the deceased tusker who passed away this morning to declare the deceased tusker Nedungamuwe Raja as a national treasure.Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Prof. Kapila Gunawardena has been intructed in this regard considering the service by the tusker, who was the main casket bearer of the Esala perahera the the country’s foremost annual cultural pagent held in Kandy.
The President has also directed the officials to preserve the carcass of the Nedungamuwe Raja for the benefit of future generation.
Meanwhile, the PMD said a team of officials from the National Museum had gone to Nedungamuwa, Weliweriya, Gampaha where the tusker was kept and cared.
Nadungamuwa Vijaya Raja, popularly known as Nadungamuwa Raja passed away this morning. According to his caretaker Ayurvedic physician Dr. Harsha Dharmawijeya said.
According to him the elephant died at 5.30 am today following a brief illness.
Nadungamuwa Raja is an Indian tusker born in 1953 in Mysore, was the main casket bearer of the procession of Esala held in Kandy unti
