Like in the modelling industry, the festival industry in Kerala, a State popular for festivals featuring mighty jumbos, is under immense pressure following huge demand for elephants with good ‘body features’. This has also pushed up the cost of organising festivals.

There has been a 100%-200% increase in the rental charges of celebrity elephants with good physical traits. Like the ‘flexi fares’ of airlines, the charges can go up for a day with several festivals. Though around 250 captive elephants are available for festivals, around 50 elephants with good physical attributes rule the industry. The rates for celebrity elephants also had a cascading effect on other elephants, said Valsan Champakkara, secretary of the Kerala Festival Coordination Committee.

Elephants with physical attributes such as a trunk that touches the ground, broad forehead, long tail, fleshy stomach, large earlobes, forehead with a high density of white-reddish spots, long tusks which curve slightly upward — a specialty of south Indian elephants —, 18 white nails, and imposing height are some of the body traits that decide the celebrity status of an elephant.

Jumbos alone account for one-third of the entire festival expenses.

The average rent of a majestic elephant will be anywhere between ₹3 lakh and ₹5 lakh during the peak festival season and it can touch ₹7 lakh on days with many festivals. The rate of an ordinary elephant charged ₹50,000 normally will go up to ₹1 lakh on auspicious days. The festivals in the State, especially central Kerala, normally feature 5 to 50 elephants.

“Considering the number of popular festivals, which is pegged at 6,000, and the relatively smaller number of mighty elephants, one can assume the cost of festivals,” said Mr. Champakkara.

“The huge fan following for celebrity elephants often leads to heated arguments and unhealthy competitions at festival venues. Recently, an elephant brought from Thiruvananthapuram for a festival at Kaiparambu Thiruvanikkavu Temple in Thrissur was sent back without being paraded following arguments between two participating committees over its height,” said V.K. Venkitachalam, general secretary of the Heritage Elephant Task Force.