The Government of India honoured her, in 2012, with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of art and culture.

However, Pepita's life took a turn when she chanced upon the diary of her grandfather and decided to trace his trails with the British Army and document the movements and landed in Kolkata, in 1970.

Her photographs of the elephant, Guruvayur Keshavan have been published in many magazines and journals including the New York Times and the Guardian.

The book follows an account with photographs style and has represented the information gathered from various sources, including the priests at the temple.

It consists of 17 chapters and 215 images and covers the history of the 5000-year-old idol, made out of black bismuth, of the temple, and the rituals and poojas, in detail.

In recognition of her services to the fields of art and culture, the Government of India, in 2012, bestowed the civilian award of Padma Shri on her.