Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple

First among the eight royal temples of the old Cochin kingdom, and the family shrine of its maharajas. Vishnu here is Santhanagopala Murthy. The temple keeps its own calendar, but everything points toward Vrischikotsavam in November and December: processions of around fifteen caparisoned elephants and Panchari Melam drum orchestras counted among Kerala's finest, held deliberately without fireworks, so nothing competes with the drums. It stands next to Hill Palace in Tripunithura, which makes the pairing obvious. Traditional dress applies, shoes off at the gate.

Fifteen dressed elephants and Kerala's best temple drumming, without a single firework