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Aanayoottu - 17 July 2026

Aanayoottu is one of Kerala’s unique temple traditions that celebrates the cultural and spiritual bond between humans and elephants. The festival is most famously conducted at Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur and at Njangattiri Bhagavathi Temple in Palakkad on 17 July 2026 during the Malayalam month of Karkidakam , traditionally regarded as a season of rejuvenation.

At Thrissur, the Aanayoottu festival at Vadakkunnathan Temple draws large crowds who gather to witness elephants being ceremonially fed with special offerings including rice, jaggery, coconut, bananas, sugarcane, and Ayurvedic preparations. The ritual is performed as an offering to Lord Ganesha, and feeding elephants is considered highly auspicious in Kerala’s temple culture. The sight of elephants standing in rows within the temple grounds creates a majestic and memorable spectacle.

The Njangattiri Aanayoottu at Njangattiri Bhagavathi Temple in Pattambi is especially known for its emphasis on elephant care and Ayurvedic nourishment. During the ceremony, elephants are offered specially prepared medicated food aimed at improving their health and well-being during the monsoon season. Unlike many Kerala temple festivals, the elephants here are usually not elaborately decorated, highlighting the festival’s focus on care, devotion, and rejuvenation rather than pageantry.

Both festivals beautifully reflect Kerala’s deep reverence for elephants, which are regarded as sacred manifestations of Lord Ganesha and an inseparable part of the state’s temple traditions. The ceremonies continue to attract devotees, tourists, and cultural enthusiasts who come to experience these remarkable traditions rooted in faith, compassion, and heritage.