temple elephants in a festival, Kerala, India
Elephants in Kerala are often referred to as the "sons of the sahya". As the State Animal, the elephant is featured on the emblem of the Government of Kerala state, taken from the Royal Arms of both Travancore and of the Hindu temples in Kerala own elephants, the majority of which are donated by devotees. The famous Guruvayur temple has more than 60 captive all of the local festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Elephants carry the deity during annual festival processions and ceremonial circumnambulations in the Hindu temples. The temple elephants are decorated with gold plated caparisons ("nettipattam"), bells, and necklaces. People mounted on the elephants hold tinselled silk parasols ("muttukuda") up high, swaying white tufts ("vencamaram") and peacock feather fans ("alavattam") to the rhythm of the orchestra
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Photo credit: © FotoFlirt / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: animals, ceremonies, control, culture, decorated, domesticated, elephants, elephas, festival, india, indian, indicus, kerala, maximus, religious, temple, tuskers, wild
