Kodanad, one of the largest elephant training centres  in South India, is located 40 km from Cochin in the high ranges near the southern bank of the Periyar River.  In the past elephants where captured from the adjoining forest and trained there. The capture of wild elephants was banned in 1977 so now the center is used for only for training.  The pachyderms receive training for participation in temple festivals, one of their primary works in the region.

Early morning visitors to the centre can view the mahouts giving their charges their daily baths with coconut husk “brushes” by the riverside.

One of the traditional old Elephant training center

An orphaned elephant calf