▁P unn ath ur ▁k otta ▁ele ph ant ▁yard ▁is ▁the ▁t ether ing ▁site ▁or ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 6 ▁ele ph ants ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁temple . ▁ ▁Also ▁called ▁the ▁An ak otta ▁( E le ph ant ▁Fort ▁in ▁vern ac ular ▁language ), ▁the ▁place ▁is ▁the ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁largest ▁population ▁of ▁capt ive ▁male ▁Asian ▁ele ph ants . ▁These ▁ele ph ants ▁are ▁don ated ▁by ▁dev ote es ▁to ▁the ▁temple , ▁and ▁often ▁they ▁prefer ▁don ating ▁t usk ed ▁male ▁ele ph ants ▁and ▁hence ▁the ▁ske wed ▁ratio ▁of ▁males ▁to ▁females . ▁The ▁ele ph ants ▁were ▁initially ▁kept ▁at ▁a ▁comp ound ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁temple ▁when ▁the ▁numbers ▁were ▁low . ▁However , ▁with ▁more ▁dev ote es ▁don ating ▁ele ph ants , ▁the ▁space ▁became ▁ins u fficient ▁and ▁hence ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁a ▁larger ▁property ▁three ▁kilometres ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁temple . ▁Because ▁of ▁their ▁association ▁with ▁the ▁temple , ▁dev ote es ▁consider ▁several ▁of ▁these ▁ele ph ants ▁as ▁living ▁forms ▁of ▁Lord ▁G ur uv ay ur appa ▁himself . ▁G ur uv ay ur ▁K es hav an ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁among ▁those , ▁who , ▁even ▁four ▁dec ades ▁after ▁his ▁dem ise ▁is ▁the ▁talk ▁of ▁the ▁town . ▁To ▁honour ▁the ▁royal ▁one , ▁every ▁year ▁on ▁his ▁death ▁anni versary , ▁hom age ▁is ▁paid ▁to ▁a ▁life - s ized ▁statue ▁of ▁the