The sound of the faithful assembled in one of Kerala's 7000 temples surges to a roar as a loudspeaker announces the entry of a highly veneered guest. "We welcome Kerala's most splendid young elephant: Kezhuttu Vishunathan!" Music and cheering accompanies the beast's procession through the throng of worshippers, many of them filming the scene on their cameras and smartphones. Vishunathan carries out his time-honoured role in the proceedings without fuss. Not only tame, but also trained for a part in religious ceremonies and festivals, Visunathan, like 1500 other captive elephants, plays an important role in holy life in the majority-Hindu seaside state.

The unsung hero of the moment is Unni, Visunathan's mahout, who never once leaves the elephant's side during the ceremony. In fact, he is rarely ever separated from the animal. He is entrusted with training, washing and feeding Visunathan, as well as taking him across the state to participate in religious ceremonies. "This is much more than a job for me", he says. Sometimes Visunathan's duties take the pair hundreds of kilometres from home. Unni rarely sleeps on these dangerous, overnight journeys, as he has to be constantly vigilant of Visunathan. An elephant's behaviour can be unpredictable, and mahouts have been known to be crushed.

The danger, increasing traffic, mechanization of construction work, and a dwindling supply of the beasts are all factors threatening Unni's 3,000-year-old profession. "It won't stay like this for another 50 years. Not even 15", he laments. For the moment, elephants and their mahouts still walk the streets of Kerala, bringing joyous outbursts wherever they go, but the end of this unique relationship between man and beast may be in sight.

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Winner - Honourable Mention in Audience Favourite, The Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival, 2015