Cherpu, which is around 10 kms from Thrissur town in Kerala is home to several skilled artisans engaged in the production of wooden handicrafts and furniture including the famous ‘wooden elephants’. Thrissur, which is the cultural capital of Kerala is also known for its ‘Poorams’ or temple festivals where beautifully decorated procession of elephants are an integral part of the ceremonies which stand testimony to the rich culture of Kerala where elephants are held high. Manufacture of ‘wooden elephants’ dates back to the pre-independence era where two carpenter families came together to carve out beautiful elephants, symbolizing the connectedness of human beings with elephants. Soon the demand for the same rose and more members from the carpenter families joined to form a Cherpu Carpenters Co-operative Society in 1939. The early eighties saw a full fledged industry manufacturing wooden elephants with orders being placed even from Europe, US and the Middle East.