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{{short description|Elephant in Kerala}}
{{Infobox animal
|name = Chirakkal Kalidasan
|nationality = India
|namedafter = [[Kālidāsa|Kalidasan]]
|height = {{height|cm=308}}
|weight =
|owner = Chirakkal Madhu
|successor =
|predecessor =
|known = [[Thrissur Pooram]] ''[[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion|Baahubali 2]]''
|years_active =
|employer =
|occupation =
|relativeage =
|image = Chirakk kalidas4 (cropped).JPG
|resting_place_coordinates =
|resting_place =
|death_place =
|death_date =
|birth_place = [[Karnataka]]
|birth_date = {{circa|1980}}
|gender = Male
|breed =
|species = ''[[Elephas maximus]]'' (Asian elephant)
|caption =
|image_size =
|website = }}
'''Chirakkal Kalidasan''' (born {{c.|1980}}) is an [[Asian elephant]]. He is the third tallest elephant in India. He is famous for his huge fan base and had a major role in the 2017 [[epic film]], ''[[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion]]''. He is also known as Gajaraja Bahubali.

Chirakkal Kalidasan stands at {{height|cm=308}}, making him the third tallest captive elephant in the state after Thechikottukavu Ramachandran and Thrikkadavoor Sivaraju.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thrikkadavoor Sivaraju |url=https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=11371#:~:text=Thrikkadavoor%20Sivaraju%20was%20born%20wild%20~1973 |website=Elephant Database |access-date=August 21, 2024}}</ref> He is also known for having won in Thalappokkam (heads-up) competitions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ചെറായി പൂരം: തലപ്പൊക്കത്തില്‍ കാളിദാസന്‍ {{!}} Ernakulam {{!}} Kerala {{!}} Deshabhimani {{!}} Sunday Feb 12, 2017|url=https://www.deshabhimani.com/amp/news/kerala/news-ernakulamkerala-12-02-2017/623356|access-date=2021-01-13|website=www.deshabhimani.com}}
</ref>

== Early life ==
Kalidasan was born wild in the [[Karnataka]] forests. He was brought to [[Kerala]] by Manissey Hari and was later bought by Chirakkal Madhu in the 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chirakkal Kalidasan Kerala Elephant - One of the tallest elephant in Kerala .|url=https://aanachandam.blogspot.com/2017/10/chirakkal-kalidasan.html|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Aanachandam - Kerala Elephants}}</ref> {{Better source needed|date=January 2021}}

== Recognition ==
Kalidasan is a [[Celebrity|star]] elephant in [[Malayalam cinema]].

=== Movies ===
Kalidasan is known for acting in movies, notably in the 2017 [[epic film]], ''[[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-15|title=കേരളത്തിലെ ഗജരാജാക്കന്മാർ|url=https://janamtv.com/80272677/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Janam TV|language=en-US}}</ref> He has also acted in the movies ''Pattabhishekham'', ''[[Punyalan Agarbattis]]'' and ''[[Dil Se..]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ബാഹുബലിയുടെ വിജയത്തിനൊപ്പം താരപദവിയിലേക്ക് ചിറക്കൽ കാളിദാസൻ|url=https://www.manoramanews.com/daily-programs/sakalakala/2017/05/17/chirakkal-kalidasan-gets-to-fame-with-bahubali2.html|access-date=2021-01-13|website=ManoramaOnline|language=ml}}</ref>

=== Video album ===
In 2018, he acted in a musical video called "Gajam", sung by [[Vijay Yesudas]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=പടനായകന്റെ വീര്യവുമായി ചിറക്കല്‍ കാളിദാസന്‍; ഹരമായി 'ഗജം'|url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/music/gajam-musical-album-chirakkal-kalidasan-1.2617363|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Mathrubhumi|date=20 February 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Others ===
In 2020, he became a part of the promo video by [[Indian Super League]] club [[Kerala Blasters FC|Kerala Blasters]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=കൊമ്പ് കുലുക്കാന്‍ ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സ് ഇറങ്ങുന്നു; ഒറിജിനല്‍ കൊമ്പന്‍ ദാ ഇവിടെയുണ്ട്... {{!}} bahubali fame elephant chirakkal kalidasan acted in kerala blasters video|url=https://www.asianetnews.com/video/kerala-news/bahubali-fame-elephant-chirakkal-kalidasan-acted-in-kerala-blasters-video-qk2xz8|access-date=2021-01-13|website=www.asianetnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-20|title=ഗജരാജ ബാഹുബലി ചിറക്കൽ കാളിദാസൻ ഇനി ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്‌സ് പരസ്യത്തിൽ|url=https://thenewstoday.tv/sports/latest-news-gajaraja-bahubali-chirackal-kalidasan-in-blasters-ad/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=The News Today|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114190912/https://thenewstoday.tv/sports/latest-news-gajaraja-bahubali-chirackal-kalidasan-in-blasters-ad/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the early 2010s, he was given the name Junior [[Thechikottukavu Ramachandran|Thechikkot]] by elephant lovers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mundanthara|first=Vinu|date=2018-05-13|title=ചിറയ്ക്കൽ കാളിദാസൻ|url=https://aanakkazhchakal.wordpress.com/2018/05/13/%e0%b4%9a%e0%b4%bf%e0%b4%b1%e0%b4%95%e0%b5%8d%e0%b4%95%e0%b5%bd-%e0%b4%95%e0%b4%be%e0%b4%b3%e0%b4%bf%e0%b4%a6%e0%b4%be%e0%b4%b8%e0%b5%bb/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Aanakkazhchakal|language=en}}</ref>

Kalidasan is also known for taking part in photoshoots with actors and models.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-28|title=ചിറക്കൽ കാളിദാസനൊപ്പം ഒരു ഫോട്ടോഷൂട്ട്, ദൃശ്യ രഘുനാഥിന്റെ പുതിയ ചിത്രങ്ങൾ ശ്രദ്ധ നേടുന്നു|url=https://ml.b4blaze.com/drishya-rakhunadh-photoshoot-with-chirakkal-kalidasan/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=മലയാളം ന്യൂസ് പോർട്ടൽ|language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Chengalloor Dakshayani]]
* [[List of individual elephants]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Animal actors}}

[[Category:1980 animal births]]
[[Category:Elephants in Hinduism]]
[[Category:Elephants in Indian culture]]
[[Category:Elephants in Kerala]]
[[Category:Individual elephants in India]]
[[Category:Animal actors]]
[[Category:Individual Asian elephants]]

Chirakkal Kalidasan - Revision history

CleanupBot at 06:47, 22 March 2026