Mammoth

A mammoth is a species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans (elephants or their extinct relatives) were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair. They lived from the Pliocene epoch from 4.8 million years ago to around 4,500 years ago.The word mammoth comes from the Russian мамонт mamont, probably in turn from the Vogul (Mansi) language.They are believed to have originally evolved in North Africa about 4.8 million years ago,also found in South Africa and Kenya, is also believed to be one of the oldest species (about 4 million years ago).
New DNA research links ancient mammoth to Asian elephant !A group of international scientists, including Dr Ian Barnes of Royal Holloway, University of London, have constructed the first ever complete ancient DNA sequence of a 11,000 year old woolly mammoth, and have discovered that it was more closely related to the Asian elephant than to the African elephant, as previously thought.
Most mammoths died out at the end of the last Ice Age. A definitive explanation for their mass extinction is yet to be agreed upon. A small population survived on St. Paul Island, Alaska, up until 6000 BC,and the small mammoths of Wrangel Island became extinct only around 2500 BC.

More Elephants !

pooram Snap

Its a snap of pooram-Trichur.15 elephants with all ornaments and umbrellas!its marvellous !!

Trichur & Elephant

Trichur is a district in Kerala,India.As I said earlier Kerala has 700 elephants in captivity. Most of them are tuskers. Unlike the African elephants, Asian elephants has tusks only in male.
In Trichur there are 250 elephants in captivity and they are a part of the day to day life. People of Trichur has a unique tradition of appreciating the beauty of elephants. It was prestigious to keep an elephant. Many people still keep elephants. They are used for religious ceremonies in and around the temples. Only a few elephants work at timber yards.
Trichur has roughly 500 temples around. Each temple has 2 - 3 festivals in a year. There would be 1 / 3 / 7 / 15 / 45 / 75 / 105 decorated elephants at these temple festivals.Every day from November to March there would be a number of temple festivals around.Many temples also keep elephants. Most of them are donated by devotees. Guruvayoor temple (1 hour drive from Trichur) has 57 elephants. All of them donated by devotees.In Trichur Venkitadri family makes ornaments for elephants for three generations.They make gold plated caparisons, umbrellas, Alavattom, Venchamaram, necklace etc. They distribute 150 elephants with ornaments for temple festivals.Will collect and write more on thrichur,its my place....land of elephant lovers !We have the most famous festival called "POORAM"where elephants are having a high importance...will write later.

Tour Diary

To spend time like this :

Palmland Tours, Kerala.

"Mahouts"

Kerala has more than 700 elephants in captivity. Most of them are owned by temples and individuals.They are used for religious ceremonies in and around the temples. A few elephants work at timber yards.Each elephant has three mahouts, called "pappan" in the Malayalam language. The most important duty of the mahouts is to bathe and massage the elephant with small rocks, and husk of coconuts.
In the monsoon, the elephants undergo Ayurvedic rejuvenation treatments which include decoctions with herbs, etc. It is called Sukha Chikitsa in the Malayalam language.
Mahouts may be classified into three types, called in the Sanskrit language:
Reghawan: Those who use love to control their elephants.
Yukthiman: Those who use ingenuity to outsmart them.
Balwan: Those who control elephants with cruelty.

Guruvayoor Kesavan

"Gajarajan" Guruvayoor Kesavan (1904-1976) was perhaps the most famous and celebrated elephant in Kerala, south India. Kesavan was donated to the Guruvayoor temple by the royal family of Nilambur in 1916 when he was about 10 years old.
He was 3.2 metres tall. The Guruvayoor Temple authority has erected a life-size statue in its precincts as mark of tribute to the services he has rendered to the presiding deity of the temple. The tusks of Kesavan can be still seen adorning the entrance to the main temple enclosure, along with a majestic picture of his. He was known for his devout behaviour towards the lord. Kesavan died on a very auspicious day of "Guruvayur Ekadasi". He fasted for the entire day and dropped down facing the direction of the temple with his trunk raised as a mark of prostration.His death anniversary is still celebrated in Guruvauyur. Hundreds of elephants line up before the statue and the chief elephant garlands it.
Kesavan was conferred the title "Gajarajan" (King of elephants), a title bestowed by Guruvayoor Devaswom for the first time on elephants. This elephant also has a biographical full-length feature film (in Malayalam) with his own name as the title.
We keralites still remember him because he ws the one who have all the best features of an elephant !!

About Elephants in Kerala

Almost all of the festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Elephants carry the deity during annual festival processions and ceremonial circambulations 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, and most of these elephants are donated by devotees. The most famous Guruvayur temple in Kerala has more than 60 domesticated elephants and thus the Presiding Deity, Guruvayurappan is said to be the owner of world's largest number of domesticated elephants. They have constructed the world's only Elephant Palace in Punnathur Kotta, 3 km from the temple for their elephants. One of the famous elephants named Guruvayur Keshavan was an elephant of this temple.

Lets get started !!

So Friends, I am an elephant lover!!

My state kerala(India) is a land where elephants are having a great importance in the society.Elephants are essential in almost all hindu festivals here.In later posts u will find more fotos of these festivals.In my state Elephants are called as "AANA".Hope we will have nice time thru this blog !!

Cheers !