These are a series of shots from a celebration called "Kettu kazhcha" (kettu meaning tied up or "put together" and kazhcha meaning "show"). This, as every other celebration, is a community event. The nearby villages each make their own colorful effigy of 2 bullocks each, using wooden frames on wheeled chariots as base, and tying up truck loads of hay to shape the bodies. Then the heads are attached and decorations added. These massive heads are carved by hand out of wood and hand painted. There are 13 villages that partake in this celebration in front of a shiva temple (Parabrahma kshethram) at Padanilam (a place in Alleppey district near Nooranadu in Kerala South India) meaning there would be 13 humongous and colorful effigies lined up together in all their splendour every Shivarathri... must be quite something... It is supposed to represent a mock fight, so it is competitive too...

Anuj Nair Thank you for the corrections.. :)

I missed the real celebration. I landed up there as they were taking these down. :( still happy to have seen what I missed :) and yeah I do plan to make it there one day to see it live!