Elephant Safari In Periyar Widlife Sanctuary

Take a tour of the Periyar sanctuary on motor launches in search of wildlife and you'd be surprised with what you see. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is the best elephant hub, any animal lover would love to check out. From the rooms of the forest rest houses provided by the Kerala forest department to the tourists within the vicinity Periyar, you can get a wide-screen view of the whole sanctuary.

Visiting the Lake Palace in Kerala's lake centered wildlife sanctuary of Thekkady, also referred to as the Periyar sanctuary is an experience to remember. When a Maharaja ruled this land, he had a dam thrown across the Periyar River. The backed up waters of the dam flooded a valley, partially submerging trees, leaving their bare trunk standing over their reflections like a Daliesque waterscape. Visitors put-put around this surreal lake in motor-launches, delight in spotting wildlife including herds of foraging wild elephant.

Periyar is, clearly, the safest elephant sanctuary in India, possibly in the world. Elephants have never been known to attack a tourist launch. This, in spite of the fact that elephants are at home in the water. Elephant, Wild Pig, Sambar and Guar are the four most popular animals with Thekkady's visitors. The smaller ones, however, are as interesting.

Paripally Gajamela

Paripally, 48 kms north of Thiruvananthapuram is noted for its Gajamela or Elephant pageant. Over 50 elephants are taken out on a ritual procession on the tenth day of the festival (February- March).

No celebration in Kerala is complete without an elephant pageant. The gentle giant has been revered like divinity and accorded the privilege of escorting the numerous gods and goddesses of this land. Until a few years ago many well-to-do families in Kerala owned an elephant which was considered a member of the household.

The pooram and vela festivals are the best occasions to watch the majestic tuskers in all their caparisoned splendour. Colourfully decked up elephants numbering fifteen to hundred or more line up on the temple premises. With mahouts atop them, holding high tinselled silk parasols (muthukuda) and swaying white tufts (venchamaram) and peacock feather fans (aalavattom) to the rhythm of the temple orchestra.