Kodanad – Largest Elephant Training Centre in Kerala

Image Credits : Aviva West, Creative Commons Attribution Licence

Elephants are an integral part of Indian mythology and culture. In God’s Own Country, elephants are often referred to as the sons of the ‘Sahya‘ (the Western Ghats). Once a part of every day life in Kerala, elephants are the most ornamental and auspicious animals here. No festival or celebration is complete without an elephant procession. Rows of majestically caparisoned elephants, replete with colourful silken parasols form the most spectacular part of any event in Kerala.

Kodanad, set on the Southern banks of the Periyar River amid the beautiful high ranges near Perumbavoor, is one of the largest elephant training centres in Kerala. Earlier elephants captured from the Malayatoor forests (the forests in the East and North of Kodanad) were trained here. Since the introduction of a ban on elephant capture Kodanad has been reduced to a training centre. The famous Malayatoor Church is near Kodanad.

Muthanga of Wayanad district and Konni of Pathanamthitta district are two other elephant training centres in Kerala. Another attraction for elephant lovers is Punnathur Kotta, of the neighbouring Thrissur district, where some 40 elephants of the Guruvayoor Temple are groomed.

Town:: Kodanad is about 44 km from Ernakulam town. Nearest bus station is Perumbavoor, about 12 km
Airport:: Nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, via Vallom - Kodanad Rd, about 20 km
Railway Station:: Ernakulam, about 45 km, is the nearest railway station
District:: Ernakulam
Longitude:: 10.182563
Latitude:: 76.517984