Astonishing Fact Behind the 1,000 Rupees Note. How many of us know that the elephant printed with a man wearing a cap near it,
appearing on the 1,000/- rupees notes, has an astonishing story behind it?
Every one of us are familiar with the Rupees 1,000/- notes for its size, colour and so on.
Probably, what you will not know is about the factual story of the elephant and the man with a cap near it,
which is printed on the 1,000/- rupees notes that are now in circulation in Sri Lanka.
Can anyone imagine that the elephant and the man wearing a cap near it are from the Eastern Province,
and the man is a Muslim?
Yes, they are from the Eastern Province.
The man is Umar Lebbai Panicker from Eravur in the Batticaloa district.
The tusker in the note was caught in 1925 in the Eravur forest and reared by him.
It is said that Umar Lebbai Panicker presented this tusker to Dalada Maligawa.
Within a short period it escaped from there and went in search of him to Eravur.
He brought it back again and handed it over to the Dalada Maligawa.
His Excellency, the late President J.R. Jayawardene, in order to honour the long services of the tusker
had declared it as a national asset in 1984.
This tusker named as Raja adorned the Esala Perehera processions
in Kandy and thus became of national fame and honoured nationally.
After this, the Government in power then,
decided to honour the person presented this elephant to Dalada Maligawa
By printing the picture of him with the tusker nearby,
on the notes of rupees 1000/- and the Village Eravur, was thus honoured by this action.
The tusker Raja that served in Dalada Maligawa
And
brought fame and honour not only for itself,
but also to the person who presented it to the Dalada Maligawa and the village Eravur
The tusker finally died on July 15, 1988 after serving 50 years in the Maligawa.
"Panicker "is a name given to people who catch elephants in the forest,
Rear them and sell to people involved in the business of transporting or carrying very heavy materials and things.
Their descendants are still identified as "Panicker Thaththi" or "Panicker Kathara" in Eravur.
There is a road in Eravur known as 'Panicker Veedy' named after their name.
