Everyone likes to enjoy a spa. Not only humans, but even the elephants love and enjoy a SPA. Every year in the month of July, lucky elephants of the well-known Guruvayurappan Hindu Temple in Kerala enjoy one full day of pampering at the Punnathoor Cotta Elephant Yard.
The Elephant Camp is located at a distance of around 3 kilometers from the Guruvayur Temple in Kerala. Spreads across 11.5 acres of land, this camp houses around 58 elephants. In fact, the camp is popular for one fact this one fact that it houses the largest number of elephants in a very small stretch of land.
One fascinating feature to note about this camp is that all the elephants housed at this camp are offerings which are made to the Guruvayur Temple by the devotees. The Punnathoor Cotta Elephant Yard is also a training school for the elephants. The elephants (male ones) are trained to participate in the daily and major temple rituals and processions. The camp has become a popular tourist destination and is visited by a huge number of tourist.
However, a lucky group of elephants get to enjoy and relax a day full of pampering at this spa. This is their lucky day and it comes every year in the month of July. The workers at the Punnathoor Cotta Elephant Yard massage and scrub the elephants for one full day.
The elephant spa involves, hosing, scrubbing, cleaning and massaging of the elephants. The elephants are fed with nutritious snacks. The elephants are treated with sanctuary treat ‘Sukha Chikitsa’ i.e. ayurvedic therapies by the sanctuary. The main motive of this elephant spa is to revitalize the elephants and keep them in good physical shape.
The elephants play an important role in the processions of the popular Guruvayurappan Hindu Temple, to which this rejuvenation center is attached. The lucky elephants totally indulge themselves in this SPA. The spa is done by locals, and it is truly an act of kindness.
PNN
