Elephant Festival, Jaipur
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.
A magnificent spectactle, it unveils the majesty and
grandeur of elephants celebrated around Holi. The Mahavats or owners proudly decorate
their elephants with bright colours, jhool., (saddle cloth) and heavy jewellary.
A royal procession of decorated elephants, a match of elephant polo, an elephant
race and playing Holi on elephants are main events.
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Urs Ajmer Sharif
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