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.
Celebration
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.
How to Reach
By Air : Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and domestic carriers operate
regular flights to and from Jaipur. Jaipur is connected to Delhi, Mumbai,
Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Calcutta and Varanasi by domestic flights.
By Train: The train service to Jaipur is available from all the
major parts of the country. An excellent connection from Delhi is Shatabadi
Express that provides a fast, air-conditioned rail service. Other direct
connections to Jaipur are from Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad,
Secunderabad, Agra, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta.
By Bus: Jaipur can be accessed from all the major places in
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Mumbai by bus. Rajasthan roadways runs
excellent regular service of AC and Deluxe Coaches from Delhi
Hotel
Information