Pachyderms have been part and parcel of this part of the state, thanks to the lush greenery and the forest cover.

They were revered for many reasons – one as Lord Ganesha and second for the role they played during the Chola reign. The animals symbolized the might of the empire, especially during the time of Aditya Chola, who had a huge and fierce ‘Yanaippadai’.

Everything – from trade to economy flourished. Gold was found in abundance to the extent that Paranthaka Chola used the yellow metal to cover the sanctum sanctorum of the Chidambaram Nataraja temple. All thanks to the Roman traders who passed through this place to reach Palakkad. The river Noyyal helped agriculture flourish. It was all peace for both humans and animals who had their space.

To thank the Lord for showering His blessings on them, people built several temples for Lord Ganesha, prominent ones being the Panchamukha Ganeshas.

Such Panchamugha Ganeshas (the Lord with five faces) are found even today in Marudhamalai, in Koniamman temple and at Perur that is being managed by the Sringeri Mutt.

On the other hand, several temples were also built for Kavivaradar, in other words, Gajendra Varadhan, the protector of elephants. The one at Peelamedu is 300 years old, while the one at Vellalore is 2000 years old. It is said that Lord Vishnu came to the rescue of an elephant from the clutches of a crocodile. Hence the name Gajendra Varadhan.

People of this region, realizing the importance of nature, took all steps to preserve it. For this, they sought the help of both Gajendra and Gajendra Varadha so that peace prevailed everywhere.