Indian elephant goes on the rampage during holy festival smashing vehicles in its path

A religious festival went awry when an elephant began picking up vehicles and smashing them.

The great creature, named Devidasan, was taking part in a festival at the Bhagavathi Temple in the south Indian state of Kerala on Thursday.

However he proved to be at the end of the tether when he started destroying vehicles in his path.

He picked up a motorbike with his trunk before proving his herculean strength by grabbing an auto-rickshaw as though it were a toy and smashing it on the ground.

Devidasan then turned his violence on a nearby pick-up van, throwing it into the air three times before overturning it on its side.

Two mahouts (people who work with elephants) were on the back of the animal throughout the ordeal trying to control him.

It took several hours to finally bring the beast under control.

Nobody was injured.

The Bhagavathi Temple is one of the most ancient temples in India as well as one of the richest.

A four day festival is held there everyyear around January-February time.

The Thalappoli festival features a big music-filled procession headed by richly caparisoned elephants such as Devidasan.

-Daily Mail