The spectrum of Onam gets its shade of royalty with the regal elephant ride. This takes place at Thrissur the cultural capital of Kerala. Decked in gold, the favourite animals of Royals of India look even more magnificent. There are a whole lot of these favourite animals.
The Dazzling Attire:
Intricate designs are made on big golden plates specially made for the elephant’s forehead. These golden plates are big enough since they even continue till the trunk. A lot of craftsmanship goes into making innovative and exquisite designs each year. Another striking element of the elephant’s decorative is the parasol. These are long stemmed ceremonial silk and satin umbrellas and laced with white metal. These parasols are placed on top of the animals. A silk robe, some jewelleries and body paintings are added for good looks. The most impressive and good looking animal gets the honour of being a part of the procession. and wearing the ornate caparison.
The Royal Show:
The spectacular procession of pachyderms is one of the major highlights of Onam festival. This attracts thousands of enthusiastic people. The elephants look very majestic as they are. They look even more handsome with the ornate caparison they get on the day of procession. A darling of children, pachyderm amuses its audience. It gets busy garlanding some, staring at others. It also shakes its trunk and big body a little along with the rhythm. The crowd goes mad with laughter with these cute little pranks of the king-sized animal. The event is inclusive of feasting, dance, music and merrymaking.