Elephants at Sree Poornathreasa Temple Cochin

Elephants are an integral part of the daily life in Kerala, India
These Indian elephants are loved, revered, groomed and given a prestigious place in the state's culture. 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.


Located in Tripunithura, Kochi, the capital of the former Indian state of Cochin.

The temple is also famous for its yearly Utsavams or festivals. The main one being the Vrishchikoltsawam, which is conducted every year in the month of Vrishchikam (Nov-Dec).

The deity in this temple is Lord Vishnu who is in the form of Santhanagopala Murthy. It is well believed that childless couples will be blessed with children on praying Poornathrayesan.

Poornathrayeesan is the Family deity of Cochin Royal Family (Perumpadapu Swaroopam).

Almost all of the festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Elephants carry the deity during annual festival processions and ceremonial processions in the temples. The temple elephants are decorated with gold plated caparisons (nettipattom), bells, and necklaces. People mounted on the elephants hold tinselled silk parasols (muthukuda) up high, swaying white tufts (venchamaram) and peacock feather fans (aalavattom) to the rhythm of the orchestra.

Most of the Hindu temples in Kerala own elephants, the majority of which are donated by devotees. The famous Guruvayur temple in Kerala has more than 60 domesticated elephants, thus the presiding deity, Guruvayurappan, is said to be the owner of the world's largest number of domesticated elephants. The world's only Elephant Palace is constructed in Punnathur Kotta, 3 km from the temple, to house the temple's elephants. A famous elephant, named Guruvayur Keshavan, belonged to this temple.

Seventeen elephants are engaged for the daily ceremonial rounds to the accomplishment of Panchari Melam in the Koodalmanikyam Temple. The headgear of seven of these elephants is made of pure gold and rest of pure silver, which is unique to this temple.