What’s the well-dressed elephant wearing in Kerala? A golden headdress, vivid tassels, bells and ornaments, if you’re a lucky spectator at the Thrissur Pooram Festival, Kerala’s biggest, held in Trichur (Thrissur), two hours north of Kochi by train. The week-long annual festivities to honor the deity Shiva feature mahouts (trainers) riding the two teams of about 30 elephants while holding colorful umbrellas atop tall bamboo poles, frequent fireworks, folk dancing and drumming. The festival takes place outside one of Kerala’s oldest Hindu temples, the hilltop Vadakkunathan Kshetram Temple.  

Delighting onlookers since 1798, the festival began after many Hindus weren’t allowed inside a temple a few miles south of Thrissur, where Kerala’s major festival was then held, because they arrived late after heavy rain. Outraged, their leader, Raja Rama Varma, vowed to create a second, more wildly extravagant rival festival nearby — and did. While Hindus only are permitted inside the temple, don’t fret: All the action and color occur outside.