Parippally Gajamela

About this event

Parippally Gajamela is a prominent annual temple festival held at the Kodimoottil Bhagavathy Temple in Parippally, Kollam district, and is best known for its ceremonial procession of caparisoned elephants. Dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali, the festival forms part of a ten-day annual celebration conducted during the Malayalam month of Kumbham, generally falling in February or March. The Gajamela is held on the concluding day and brings together devotees and visitors to witness a distinctive combination of temple rituals, traditional percussion and elephant pageantry. Around 50 elephants traditionally take part in the procession, adorned with ceremonial decorations and accompanied by mahouts carrying colourful silk parasols, peacock-feather fans and white ceremonial tufts. The procession is accompanied by traditional temple music, including Panchavadyam, adding a strong musical dimension to the occasion. One of the visual highlights is Kudamattam, the ceremonial changing of decorated parasols above the elephants. The festival also includes cultural programmes held as part of the wider temple celebrations, providing an opportunity to experience forms of music, dance and ritual associated with Kerala's temple traditions. The Gajamela is closely connected with the religious customs of the Kodimoottil temple, where offerings and observances form an important part of the annual festivities. Kerala's tradition of temple festivals places considerable emphasis on collective participation, devotional practice, percussion ensembles and ceremonial processions, and Parippally Gajamela reflects these elements within the cultural setting of Kollam. The event also illustrates the continuing role of temples as centres of community life, where religious observances and traditional performing arts come together during the festival season. Visitors attending the celebration should remember that the venue is an active place of worship and that the proceedings are primarily religious rather than a staged tourism performance. Photography and visitor access should therefore follow the instructions of temple authorities and festival organisers. As festival dates follow the Malayalam calendar and local temple customs, the exact programme may vary from year to year. The concluding elephant procession remains the defining feature of the celebration, while the surrounding rituals and cultural programmes provide a broader view of the devotional and artistic traditions associated with this annual festival.

🚆 Railway: Paravur Railway Station — approximately 12 km from Kodimoottil Sree Bhagavathy Temple. Varkala Sivagiri and Edavai are each about 13 km. Kollam Junction is about 22 km.

✈️ Airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport — approximately 51 km.

🚌 Bus: Parippally Bus Stop — approximately 1 km.

🏨 Stay: Fragrant Nature Paravur; Deshadan, Varkala; Hindustan Beach Retreat, Varkala

✅ Notes: Parippally Gajamela is the caparisoned-elephant procession on the last day of the ten-day Kumbham festival at Kodimoottil Sree Bhadrakali Temple in Parippally, Kollam. Kerala Tourism places it in March and describes about 50 elephants, with panchavadyam and kudamattam. The date follows the Malayalam calendar, so confirm the year with the temple. It is not a daily darshan.