Punnathurkotta | |
|---|---|
Place of interest | |
 Punathur Palace | |
| Nickname: Anakotta | |
  Punnathurkotta Location in Kerala, India | |
| Coordinates:10°36′51″N76°1′47″E / 10.61417°N 76.02972°E /10.61417; 76.02972 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Thrissur |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam,English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Telephone code | 91487 |
| Vehicle registration | KL-46 |
| Nearest city | Guruvayur |
Punnathurkotta is a fort and former palace located inKottapadi, about 3 km from theGuruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple, inThrissur District ofKerala State inSouth India.[1]
Punnathurkotta was once the palace of a local ruler, now survived by his son R Unnikrishnan, grandsons Madhusudana R Menon & Madhavan R Menon, but the palace grounds are now used to house the elephants belonging to the Guruvayoor temple, and has been renamedAnakkotta (meaning "Elephant Fort"). There were 86 elephants housed there, but currently there are about 37 elephants. The elephants are ritual offerings made by the devotees ofLord Guruvayurappa.
Described as a 'Palace for Elephants,'[2] this facility is also used to train the elephants to serveLord Krishna as well as to participate in many festivals that occur throughout the year. The oldest elephant is around 82 years of age and is called 'Ramachandran'. The rituals ofGajapooja (Worshipping Elephants) andAnayoottu (Feeding Elephants) are observed here, as an offering toLord Ganesha. The legendary elephant "Guruvayur Keshavan" was housed here.
The compound also has anaalu kettu, a traditional rectangular home with a central courtyard, which belonged to the PunnathurRaja. It presently houses a training school forPapans (Mahout).
This complex also contains a temple dedicated toLord Shiva andBhagavathy. Some scenes in the famous Malayalam movie "Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha" (starringMammooty) were filmed at this location. The visiting hours are 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM. The entry fee is ₹ 20.00 per adult. An extra Rs 25 is charged for to use a camera inside the complex. Nowadays camera usage is not allowed in Punnathurkotta.
The Elephant Camp is located in Punnathur Kotta, at a distance of 3 km from the Guruvayur Temple. This Elephant Camp houses 36 elephants in 11.5 acres of land and is home to the largest number of captive elephants. During the month July elephants are given special ayurvedic treatment. But this practice has been criticized by the Animal Welfare Board of India in a study commissioned on the welfare of the elephants. This study also found many glaring issues on the treatment of elephants and suggested remedial measures many of which has not been implemented.[3]
 |  |  |
Tourist attractions inThrissur | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dams |   | |
| Beaches and waterfalls | ||
| Forts and palaces | ||
| Boatraces | ||
| Parks and zoos | ||
| Exhibitions and film festivals | ||
| Buildings | ||
| Festivals | ||
| Prehistoric | ||
| Museums | ||
