Almost all of the local festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Elephants carry the deity during annual festival processions and ceremonial circumnambulations in the Hindu temples. The temple elephants are decorated with gold plated caparisons ("nettipattam"), bells, and necklaces. People mounted on the elephants hold tinselled silk parasols ("muttukuda") up high, swaying white tufts ("venchamaram") and peacock feather fans ("alavattam") to the rhythm of the orchestra.
Beypore in Kozhikode district is the major centre for making urus in Kerala.The name uru is associated with the traditional ship building culture of Kerala. The art and science of making these ships came from the Arab world. Centuries ago, Arab traders traced their way to the spice-scented shores of Kerala. And after coming to know about the availability of good timber in the forests of Kerala and also the presence of skilled craftsmen in ship building, the Arab merchants began to place orders for constructing dhows (urus) . It demands hard labour and the dexterous hands of craftsmen to build an uru. This seagoing vessel is made of wood and is built by joining planks of good quality timber.
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