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Elephant
Festival Jaipur
The Elephant Festival
is a unique event held annually in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Groomed
to perfection, glittering in gold, row upon row of elephants catwalk before
an enthralled audience. The elephants move gracefully in procession, run
races, play the regal game of polo, and finally participate in the spring
festival of Holi. It is festival time for the elephants.
Activities
A festival where elephants
are the centre of attraction. The festival begins with a procession of
elephants, camels and horses, followed by lively folk dancers. Elephant
races, elephant-polo matches and a most interesting tug of war between
elephants and men, are all part of this spectacular event.
History
The Jataka stories of
Buddhism refer to the tradition of Hastimangala (the Elephant Festival).
A royal mount from time immemorial, the elephant has also been a symbol
of strength and wealth. For the Rajput kings, the elephants were of especial
significance not only during war but also during the royal festivities-a
must at royal pageant. Nishan-ka-hathi, the flag carrier, led the procession.
The king always mounted a caparisoned elephant. Special hunting programs
and elephant fights were organized to entertain the royal guests. Jaipur
was a favorite with the important personalities of the British Raj and
the Maharajas always arranged for their guests of honor elephant rides
up to the Amber palace. Even today, the mahouts take tourists up to the
Amber Palace on elephant back.
Rajasthan Tourism revived
the tradition by including the Elephant Festival in the cultural calendar.
The present-day pageant, originated only a decade ago, was devised especially
with the tourist in mind. The inclusion of the game of polo is more recent,
being inspired by a cartoon in Punch magazine that showed the Indian polo
team atop an elephant after it won all the international tournaments. Every
year on the day after Holi, the old stadium at Jaipur, the Chaugan (originally
planned for elephants), forms the venue for a spectacular jamboree.
Fairs & Festival
The Rajasthani's love for
color and joyous celebrations, music, dance and festivals makes it one
of the most colorful desert in the world. We have numerous fairs and festivals
of the region. In addition to the festivals celebrated by the Hindus, Muslims
and others, there are also the traditional fairs.
We have all sorts of fair
and festivals like animal fairs, religious fairs and there are fairs to
mark the changing seasons. In fact, celebrations occur almost round the
year and are a splendid opportunity for you to gain an insight into the
life of the Rajasthani. Other than the traditional fairs, recently established
festivals which involve elephants, camel races, dance and music have been
specially organized for the tourists. I recommend you to plan your tour
in a way that you are a part of any of the following fairs and festival
to truly know the rich heritage and culture of Rajasthan:
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