Sighting a wild herd was indeed a terrifying and awe-inspiring experience. Our car was negotiating a steep hair-pin bend along the mountainous road to Karnataka from Kerala. Cars ahead of us on the road suddenly came to a screeching halt and remained silent; there was a huge wild elephant standing in the middle of the road. The herd was right behind, and they were trying to cross over to the river on the other side. No one in the cars dared to move or speak – we watched them, trembling in silence. The leader of the herd stood in the middle of the road and watched us for a while, and then majestically led its herd across the road. As soon as they crossed, cars began to move. It was an unbelievable experience. Months later when our son wrote about this experience for his elementary school assignment, what you did on your summer vacation, his teacher sent home a note that said – “Your son has a very vivid imagination. But I am concerned that he wrote a story instead of an actual experience”. I still remember the bewildered look on his American teacher’s face when I explained to her that this was indeed a true story.

Elephants in Kerala Festivals
Kerala wakes up to one festival or the other, almost every day of the year. Elephant processions are always a part of Hindu temple festivals; but now other religious festivals also feature elephants. Spring brings along a special air of festivities, when over a hundred temple festivals are celebrated from March through May. The gentle elephant is revered like divinity and given the privilege of escorting the numerous gods and goddesses of this land. Most festivals of Kerala feature spectacular elephant processions, the best occasions to watch the majestic tuskers in all their caparisoned splendor. At the grandest festivals there are several elephants elaborately bedecked with gold-plated headdresses and colorful parasols. Riders on top of the elephants carry peacock feather fans and mohair whisks in their hand. The elephant in the middle would carry a decorated idol of the deity under a golden parasol. They lead the procession swaying to the rhythm of the band of drummers and pipers. When the procession stops at designated points, the drummers and pipers would render a loud serenade and the riders on top of the elephants would stand up and slowly wave their peacock feather fans and mohair whisks. The much-acclaimed Thrissur Pooram festival stands apart with its elaborate panchavaadyam (drums and pipe concerts) concerts, processions of caparisoned elephants, and the elaborate kudamattom, exchange of colorful parasols, on top of thirty elephants standing face to face.

Elephants have a varied vegetarian diet, and feed on grasses, bamboo, leaves, bark, shoots, creepers and palm leaves. They also enjoy sugarcane, bananas, wood apple and mango. The typical Kerala elephant enjoys its share of cooked rice. Anayoottu, feeding of elephants, is a popular offering at temples and they attract many on-lookers. All the elephants are taken to the temple and fed a sumptuous feast of fruits, jaggery and boiled rice. The temple festival at the famous Guruvayoor temple stage another unique event – Anayoottam, elephant run. Punnathoorkotta, near the temple, houses one of the largest groups of captive elephants. These elephants are offered to the deity by rich devotees. During the temple festival elephants are gathered at the banyan tree, a mile away from the eastern entrance to the temple, and from there they make a run to the temple. They enter the temple and touch the kodimaram, flagpole, in the end. The first elephant to touch the flagpole is the winner of the race and earns the privilege of carrying the Lord's thidambu, image, for the procession. ...more>