An outing? This jumbo seems to enjoy his trip to a festival venue. In Kerala, festivals without elephant pageantries are unimaginable.

There is hardly any place in the world where elephants are loved, revered and groomed as in Kerala.

Loving the jumbos
Fondly referred to as the ‘sons of the Sahya mountains’, elephants play a major role in the cultural life of Kerala.

Apart from being a well-preserved animal genus, elephants are owned by individuals and temples.

Let alone the festival pageantries, elephants have a lion’s share in the arts and literature of Kerala. They are often viewed as the best associate of man in laborious tasks, too.

Kodanad in Eranakulam, Muthanga in Wayanad and Konni in Pathanamthitta are three elephant domestication centres in the state.

There are about 700 domesticated elephants in the state. Stringent laws ensure that no elephant is ill-treated in the state.