The elephant has references in Indian mythology. As goods
or Devas and the demons or Asuras churned the oceans during
"sagar manthan" for the elixir of life that would
make them immortal, there surfaced the "navratnas"
- nine jewels. One of these jewels was the elephant. The elephant
is therefore absolutely precious, to be preserved and protected
as jewels are.
Elephants have always occupied a pride of place among the
erstwhile Rajput rulers. The Rajput rulers' use of elephants
in war is legendary. War aside elephants have been an integral
part of Rajasthan's royal courts and were used in royal parades.
As a rule of thumb, a Rajput king would always ride on elephant.
Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan was a much preferred place
for elephant parades in honor of the royal guests. This grand
spectacle of elephant parade was given a fresh lease of life
courtesy Rajasthan Tourism and every year in the month of
March a grand spectacle of impeccably bedecked and ornamented
elephants are paraded in full public glare at Jaipur's Chaugan
Stadium. The spectacular parade is followed by a bewildering
array of special events like playing holi with elephants,
elephant race and the amazing game of elephant polo. It is
indeed party time for the elephants.
The most amazing feature of this colorful festival is that
the majority of the elephants that take part in the festivities
are female of the species. Each elephant is garishly decorated
from tusk to tail with charming jewelry. Their foreheads are
embossed with floral decoration.
Although elephants are the main attraction of the festival,
to add charm to the festivities, brightly bejeweled camels
and horses with their masters seated on the saddle also take
part in this remarkable festival. Traditional Rajasthani folk
dancers enthrall the audience by their rhythmic dance.
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for Rajasthan Fairs and Festivals. For more information
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