How To Give an Elephant a Bath
We ended up back in Cochin for a night in order to work around some flights. Seeing we've already been here we searched out something to do off the beaten path. We woke up earlier than we wanted to to catch a cab from Cochin to Aluva for a 2 hour ride into the hills.
After walking down a residential jungle road we reached the river to watch the elephants get their morning bath. Elephants are an integral part of Indian mythology and culture. Once a part of every day life in Kerala, elephants are the most ornamental and auspicious animals here. Kodanad, set on the Southern banks of the Periyar River amid the beautiful high ranges near Perumbavoor, is one of the largest natural elephant preserves. Twice daily the elephants come down from the hills to bathe where men who have dedicated their lives through their church bathe 1 elephant they have formed a bond with since it was born. One man to one elephant until one of them dies first.
