The Aanayottam or the Elephant race at the Guruvayoor temple in Kerala will be held on 12th March 2014, it is an annual event that marks the beginning of the 10 day long temple festival. There is a legend behind this race. Once when Guruvayoor temple did not have any elephants, it is said that elephants from the adjoining temples raced to Guruvayoor to get the idol on their heads. The number of jumbos at the temple has since steadily increased to 62 over the years and every year this race attracts not just local devotees but also tourists from all over the globe in large numbers.
