The Elephant Festival is a once a year
festival which is held every year in the Pink City, Jaipur.
On the full moon day of Phalgun Purnima, this event is organized in
February/March. It is celebrated on the Holi that is the festival of colours.
From the ancient times, elephants have always been an important part of the
Indian culture. The Elephant-headed God, Ganesha, believed to be the remover of
obstacles and foremost to all the god, is honored and faithfully worshipped in
all the parts of India. They are also one of the most important parts of
religious events, processions, marriage ceremonies etc. and in the remarkable
time, they were a significant part of the battlefield.
At this festival, elephants are nicely
groomed and dressed with colourful and embellished velvets rug and parasol and
other heavy curios like huge elephant jewelry and anklets decorated with carillon.
Intricate traditional Indian motif is then painted on their bodies. Ear dangler
and coloured brocade scarves decorate their ears and necks respectively. Their
tusks too get a hold jeweled up by adorning them with gold and silver bracelets
and rings; while foreheads are beautify with majestic looking head-plates. All
this is done by their Mahouts (keepers/riders) after they are completed charitable
their elephants a bath. Moreover, the Mahouts too lie around into the sunshine
of the celebrations by perking up themselves in brocade jacket and magnificent
turbans.
This festival begins with the huge and
enthralling procession of the imperial elephants decorated with different
shades of colours, embroidered with heavy silver ornaments, and embroidered
clothes. Mahouts enter the ground with their elephants, thumping to the sound
of nagadas and loud blows of bankiya. The contestant elephants are all females.
Elephant polo, Elephant race, the tug-of-war
between 19 men and women and Elephant are the unique features of this grand
festival.
There are live performances of dancers and musical group too. In accumulation
to this, in the demonstration there are chariots, lancers on horses, camels,
and palanquins. A huge number of crowd including the visitors from different
parts of India as well as abroad enjoy this festival. For more: elephant festival with rajasthan tour packages.
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