Elephants participating in Vrishchikotsavam-2008

1. Nanu Ezhuthachan Srinivasan
2. Kongadu Kuttishankaran
3. Shenoy Chandrashekharan
4. Pambadi Rajan
5. Thiruvanmbadi Cheriya Chandrashekharan
6. Paramekkavau Padmanabhan
7. Thiruvithamkur Devaswom Board Thrikkadavoor Raju
8. Kanjirakkad Shekharan
9. Cherai Krishnadas
10. Puthuppally Keshavan
11. Puthuppally Sadhu
12. Devaswom Gireeshan
13. Plathottam Babu
14. Cherai Parameswaran
15. Kuttankulangara Ramadas
16. Chakkalakkudy Balakrishnan
17. Unnippally Ganeshan
18. Nayarambalam Rajashekharan
19. Poothrikkovil Parthasarathy
20. Poothrikkovil Ganapathy
21. Brahmani veettil Parthasarathy
22. Madhurappuram Kannan
23. Sree poornathrayeesha Seva sangom Sri Hari

Sree poornathrayeesha Seva Sanghom, Thripunithura

Phone:2776655

Elephant ears

Aanachuvadi herb images:courtsey wikipedia

Elephant ears have more functions than our ears. Its not just for hearing purpose but it regulates the body temperature also. Elephants always fan their ears to cool their body. Ears are capable of listening even infrasound. African elephant's ears are 3 times larger than Asian elephant.
Elephant ears have many more meanings.... above all they are very soft and sensitive organs.
Colocasia plants are also called elephant ears(ചേമ്പില) .
In US a doughnut, a special dish served in carnivals is called elephant ears!!!!
In Kerala a herb is called aanachuvadi( ആനചുവടി ) means the foot of elepahnt..

Gajarajan Gireeshan pictures

Gajarajan Gireeshan of Cochin Devaswom Board. Cochin Devaswom Board has 13 elephants.

Gireeshan is 50 years old. His majestic look attracts people. Shots from the west entrance of Sri Poornathrayeesha temple, Thripunithura.

Gireeshan, the elephant of Kochi Devaswom Board. Tethering place of the elephant is filled with Elephant dung left over vegetation from previous days. Unhygienic premises will be harmful to their health. Tethering place is known as 'Kettu thara'( കെട്ട്തറ) in malayalam. It must be cleaned on a daily basis. This will prevent foot infections of the elephant.

Secure sleep...

Elephant calf sleeping in the midst of the herd. They always provide security to their little ones... Views from Bannerghatta national Park, Bangalore. The park is famous for Lion and Tiger safari. We can watch the animals from their natural habitat.

Views from Bangalore. Shots by my friend Susan

Guruvayoor Valiya Keshavan

The tallest among the 64 elephants of Punnathoor Kotta(308cm). Nakeri vasudevan Nambuthiri offered him to Sri Guruvayurappa on 2002 May 9th. He is from Bihar. He is considered as the successor of Gajaratnam Guruvayoor Padmanabhan. Formerly he was Nakeri Ayyappan Kutty.

Some fast facts about elephants...

A scene from Pinnawallah elephant orphanage, Srilanka
http://www.elephantcountryweb.com/Realellies.html

The largest land animal

Second tallest land animal

Longest living mammal other than humans

They continue to grow throughout their lives

They are highly intelligent

Gajaratnam Guruvayoor Padmanabhan

Guruvayur Padmanabhan is the elephant of Sri Guruvayurappa. His divinity and his magnetic appeal makes him the god's own elephant . According to elephant craze people of Kerala he is one of the auspicious elephant with all the signs.He is from Nilambur forests. Erandathu Puthenveettil Achuthan nair and Madhavan nair, known as E P Brothers offered him to Sri Guruvayurappa. Then he was 14 years old. Now he is crossing his 70s.
In 2004 he got 'Gajaratnam' from Guruvayoor Devaswom Board. Now he is 'Gajaratnam Guruvayoor Padmanabhan'. Elephant lovers associations and temples honoured him several times. For festivals he is always considered as the 'Ezhunnellippana'. The elephant who carries the idol of chief diety is known as 'Ezhunnellippana'. Some of his peers have more 'Thalappokkam' than him then also he is considered as the leader because of his calm nature and he is also the successor of the legend Sri Guruvayoor Keshavan.
Guruvayoor Padmanabhan Pictures
Elephant facts