At a temple festival in Kerala, elephants lined up during a display of colourful parasols, which in most cases lasts more than an hour and marks the high point of the festivities.
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Sticks that mahouts use to discipline and control the elephants.
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Thechikottukavu Ramachandran. This 50-year-old temple elephant, who has risen to superstar status in Thrissur, Kerala, was brought from Bihar as a teenager. His mood swings have on occasions proved fatal for mahouts and devotees.
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Mahouts have a tough time dealing with exhausted elephants. The human-animal conflict adds another dimension to the situation, in which mahouts often end up as victims.
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The festive spirit.
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...And the fetters of cruelty.
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A temple elephant precariously steps on to firm ground from a truck. Elephants are taken from temple to temple on trucks and the journey often lasts several hours, in a cramped position in most cases.
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The white patches on the hind legs are soft, new skin formed over just-healed wounds. The chain rubbing on them constantly can create a new wound.
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An exposed wound that can worsen because of the chain, which is rusted most of the time.
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Charcoal paste applied to a wound caused by the chain, which in this case fastens tightly all four legs, making it difficult for the elephant even to move.
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The sole of the elephant's feet has tender skin, which cracks after walking on hot ground, including tarred roads, and opens the way for diseases.
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The mahout finds a newspaper to stand on while the elephant suffers the heat.
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Chain marks on the skin on the head. The discolouration a little below marks the point where the mahout digs his stick in.
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Two captive tuskers appear to be preparing for a face-off, probably over food, usually palm leaves, or the lack of it.
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In this incident, which happened in Kochi in 2003, an angry temple elephant spun the mahout around and stamped him to death.Photo: By special arrangement
