|
|
| |
 |
 |
|
The Elephant Festival is an
inimitable event held
annually in Jaipur. Groomed
flawlessly, rows of
elephants do a catwalk
before an enthralled
audience liked best fashion
models to make this festival
an amazing one. The
elephants move with poise in
pageant, run races, play the
regal game of polo, and
finally participate in the
spring festival of Holi. It
is festival time with
elephants typically
celebrated one day before
the Holi, Indian festival of
colours.
Staged at Jaipur Chaugan
Stadium elephants put up a
variety programme and the
arena is brought alive with
musician and dancer. The
crowd, which includes
sizable presences of foreign
and Indian tourist,
electrify the atmosphere.
The festival starts with an
impressive procession of the
majestic animals lovingly
painted and tastefully
attired with glittering
ornaments and embroidered
velvets. There are deadly
and fierce elephant fights.
A ceremonial procession is
recreated with caparisoned
elephants, lancers on
horses, chariots, camels,
cannons, and palanquins.
Elephant is the centre of
attraction in the many races
and beauty pageants.
|
 |
Most of
the participants are female
elephants. The mahouts
(elephant keepers) take
great care to decorate the
elephants painting their
trunks, foreheads, and feet
with floral motifs and
adorning them from tusk to
tail with interesting
trinkets. Female elephants
wear anklets with and make
music as they walk.The game
of polo forms the highlight
of the festival. Dressed in
saffron and red turbans, the
teams try to score goals
with long sticks and a
plastic football.
Finally, the tourists are
invited to mount the
elephants and play Holi.
Participants dance with
great vigour and the
excitement rising to a
crescendo.
The Rajput kings had
extraordinary implication
for elephants not only
during war but also during
the royal festivities-a must
at royal pageant.
Nishan-ka-hathi, the flag
bearer, 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
favourite spot with the
important personalities of
the British Raj and the
Maharajas always arranged
for their guests of honour
elephant rides up to the
Amber palace. Even today,
the mahouts take tourists up
to the Amber Palace on
elephant back like shuttle
taxis.
Rajasthan Tourism
revitalized the ritual by
including the Elephant
Festival in the cultural
calendar. The present-day
pageant, originated only a
decade ago, was worked out
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
Holi, the old stadium at
Jaipur, the Chaugan
(originally planned for
elephants), makes the
setting for a stunning fete.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
