The nettippattom (the glittering ornament that adorns the forehead of the elephant) is crafted in gold by a skilled clan of artisans. Nowhere in India is an elephant decorated so extravagantly, or so befittingly.

The making of the nettippattom:

Three and a half kilograms of copper and three sovereigns (24 gms) of gold go into the making of a simple nettippattom. It takes not less than 20 days to craft this ornament. The size of the nettippattom varies with that of the elephant.