Aanayottam / Elephant race at Guruvayur Temple

Elephant race at Guruvayur Temple, locally known as 'Aanayottam' heralds the beginning of the 10 day annual temple festival celebrated at Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple in the month of February-March. The participants in this unique race are none than the huge elephants. It is a race to win the honour to carry the Thidambu -the replica of the idol of Guruvayoorappan, on all special occasions of the temple for the next one year.

The elephant race, locally known as 'Aanayottam' commemorate the days when there was no elephant owned by Guruvayur temple. Those days, Elephants were brought from other temples for conducting rituals of the annual festival of the temple. One year due to some reason, Kochi rulers refused to send elephants for the festival. It is believed that elephants came running from Thrikkana Mathilakam temple to Guruvayur temple on their own accord that afternoon, to carry the idol of the God. This race is held every year in memory of that event. 'Aanayilla Seeveli' ritual, without elephants is also held in the morning of the race to remember the days when there were no elephants in the temple.

The elephants participating in the race, are given a bath and fed in the morning. Around 2.30 in the afternoon they are brought to the starting point Manjulal, at the eastern end of the temple road. The race covers about half-a-kilometre distance from here to the main entrance of the temple. The event begins with the handing over of the Kada bells by the ancestral heir to the temple thanthri, below the flagpost of the temple. He in turn hands over the bells to the mahouts who are waiting there and they race to the starting point, cheered by the onlookers. Mahouts adorn their elephants neck with the bells and the elephant race starts with the sounding of the conch shell by the marar. The elephant who reaches the eastern entrance of the temple first, is the winner. 

After entering the temple, the elephant take 7 full rounds of the sanctum sanctorum of Guruvayurappan and pay obeisance to the Lord, marking the end of the race. Then the flag hoisting ceremony by the 'thantri' (priest) takes place beginning the one weeklong temple festival.