Guruvayur - Elephant Camp

Guruvayur - Elephant Camp

The Elephant Camp located at Guruvayur is a sanctuary for the elephants and is the largest sanctuary for elephants in the world. The Elephant Camp presently is home to 60 elephants. All the elephants in the Elephant Camp are offerings made by devotees to the Guruvayurappan temple. Once the property of Punnathur Kings, the temple was purchased in 1975 by the temple authorities. The Elephant Camp is also a training place for the elephants where they learn how to participate in daily temple rituals and temple processions. Every year an elephant race is conducted in which the winner gets to carry the idols of Lord Guruvayur during the Shiveli procession. The camp authorities use traditional methods to treat any ailments that bother the elephants. You will get to see the training of the elephants much close and even offer food under the supervision of the mahouts.