Mahout - India
Elephants are part of mythology and culture of India. According to the Hindu faith, Brahma created them to keep the equilibrium of the world and Ganesha, Pravati and Siva’s son, who is an elephant headed man, is the one Hindu people pray when they start new projects and who takes care of their homes.
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A new day starts. Sreehari has already received his bath and has come from the temple. It is time to go out for a walk and some fresh palm leaves. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co`Report)
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Early in the morning, Sugunam -the Mahout- climbs to the back of Sreehari to start the daily work in the Tripunithura Temple. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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Sreehari and his barefoot mahout walk with the light of the sunrise near Tripunithura Temple. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co`Report)
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Sreehari walks right through the streets with her Mahout on her back in the daily journey in search of food. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co`Report)
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Sugunan rub hard the elephant skin with a brush. This kind of ritual should be done everyday. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co`Report)
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Sugunan and Aby wash Sreehari's skin before sunrise. Elephants are likely to get infections on their skin, that is why their daily bath is so important. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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Before the ritual in the temple, Sugunam paints some red marks on the elephants head -known as 'bindi'- and ears. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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In the procession, the mahout puts his hand on the tusk of Sreehari to control, calm and guide the elephant. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co´Report)
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Sugunan, Aby y Kannan start washing Sreehari's skin before sunrise. Elephants are likely to get infections on their skin, that is why their daily bath is so important. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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Sreeharis diet is mainly based on palm leaves, Aby puts on the elephants tusks the appropriate amount. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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Aby y Kannan -Sugunan assistants- check the lotery results while Sreehari keeps patiently waiting for them in the street. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co`Report)
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Sreehari walks through the streets among cars and motorcycles, while Kanan sings songs in Malayalam that make the journey more bearable. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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Sugunan plays with his elephant as a sign of complicity and affection of those who have shared so many hours together. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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Asian elephants are not bigger than their African relatives, however they can reach almost four meters high. Sugunans assistant waits near Sreehari. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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One of the 'mahouts' brings a necklace with flowers to put it on his elehant with the help of his assistant, some minutes before the ritual starts. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co'Report)
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Hindu priests do a ritual called 'puja' in front of three huge elephants in one of the most importat Shiva temples in Kerala. (Andrés Gutiérrez/Co`Report)