The elephant tales of Kuttikol

Kuttikol: Elephants fascinate us. Be it a wild pachyderm running rampage or a cute little baby elephant hiding near his mother in the pack; we adore them. It is, may be this fascination we hold for elephants that make us name some places after them. There are two such places in Kuttikol in Kasargod district. One is ‘Ánakallu’ in the Kuttikol Panchayat and the other one is ‘Anakuzhi’ located in the Beddadukka Panchayat. A look at the stories behind the strange names... **Here comes the elephant rock!** Not many have seen a wild elephant for real in this place called 'Anakallu'. So, how does it get the name? Along the Karivedakam road in Paduppa Town near the Kuttikol– Bandhadukka road, there is a rock as large as an elephant and shaped like one. You could mistake it for a real elephant. The name is said to be almost a century old; government records and boards outisde old shops carry this name. For many first timers to the quaint little town, this rock is an amusing spectacle. A few years back, there was an attempt to break down this rock. The villagers came together and strongly protested against this and after this the name and the rock just stayed on. **The elephant–sized hole!** ‘Anakuzhi’ is a place near Erinjipuzha along the Kuttikol-Erinjipuzha road. Except for this place, the surrounding areas have all come under the attack of wild elephants. Anakuzhi lies close to the forest reserve area and there are many stories doing the rounds, about a large elephant–sized hole somewhere here, into which an elephant is said to have fallen; but no proof whatsoever. If you ask the villagers, for a justification for the name, they will show you the massive holes on the Kuttikol-Bovikanam road. Aren’t these big enough to put down an elephant, they seem to ask and hence the name! There aren’t many shops around the area, so the name Anakuzhi does not feature on any shop signs. Thanks to the authorities the huge pot holes on the roads stand testimony for the curious name.