The other important places nearby are Guruvayur Temple and Punnathur Kotta Elephant Sanctuary. The main attraction is the famous Elephant Sanctuary (Punnathur kotta) near the temple where elephants are trained for temple purposes. There were 86 elephants housed there, but currently there are about 66 elephants. All these elephants are ritual offerings made by the devotees of Lord Guruvayurappa.
Sprawling over 10 acres of area, the place attracts hundreds of enthusiasts every day who come here to see the unique spectacle of tuskers in various modes of daily activities everywhere- some being bathed, some being fed and still others displaying playful antics. The role of elephants is deeply imbedded in Kerala’s culture and folklore, and all of these tuskers are donated by Sri Guruvayoorappan’s devotees. A large number of pilgrims and tourists visit this fascinating spot every day.
Punnathurkotta was once the palace of a local ruler, but the palace grounds are now used to house the elephants belonging to the Guruvayoor temple, and has been renamed Anakkotta (meaning "Elephant Fort"). The Guruvayur temple Devaswom purchased in 1975. The compound also has a naalu kettu, a traditional rectanular home with a central courtyard, which belonged to the Punnathur Raja. It is poorly maintained and presently houses a training school for Papans (Mahout). This complex also contains a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Bhagavathy.
This facility is also used to train the elephants to serve Lord Krishna as well as participate in many festivals that occur throughout the year. The rituals of Gajapooja (Worshipping Elephants) and Anayoottu (Feeding Elephants) are observed here, as an offering to Lord Ganesha.
Here one can see elephants of all ages including very small ones to old ones. The oldest elephant is around 82 years of age and is called 'Ramachandran'. And the legendary elephant "Guruvayur Keshavan" was housed here.
The elephants were donated by various devotees including Tamilnadu chief minister Jayalalitha and another elephant is given by the ex Karnataka chief minister Edyurappa. Some scenes in the famous Malayalam movie "Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha" (starring Mammooty) were filmed at this location.
TIMMINGS:
- The 10 acre compound is open to public and you can watch them being fed and bathed.
- The visiting hours are 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM.
ENTRY FEE:
- The entry fee is Rs 5 per adult.
- An extra Rs 25 is charged for to use a camera inside the complex.
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| Suneel Gudipati at Elephant Sanctuary (Punnathur kotta), Guruvayoor |
HOW TO GET THERE?
Punnathur is just 3 km away from Guruvayur and is accessible by car or rickshaw. Guruvayur, one of the most famous temples of Kerala can be reached by car, train or bus from Trichur, Ernakulam, Palghat and nearby.
By Road:
- All major towns are connected with Guruvayoor and central town of thrissur is 32 km away.
By Rail:
- The Guruvayoor railway station is just walking distance away from the main temple.
By Air:
- The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport about 58 km away.
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