Elephant Festival is held in the month of Phalgun (March), on
the day of Holi, by the people of Jaipur,. Only Elephants are the
main attraction in this festival and attracts a lot of visitors from
all over the world. This festival begins with a procession of
elephants, camels and horses, followed by lively folk dancers.
The elephant fighting are very deadly and horrible in the Jaipur
Chaugan Stadium or polo field, the venue of the Elephant Festival.
During Holi, the Chaugan is brought alive with elephants, dancers,
musicians, and onlookers from the entire globe. The elephant's
owners decorate their elephants with bright colors, jhools (saddle
cloth) and heavy jewellery, painting their trunks, foreheads and
feet with floral motifs and adoring them from tusk to tail with
interesting trinkets. The owner of elephants were employed in the
Phil Khana, the department of elephant in the royal administration.
Most of the participants are female elephants and they wear payals
or anklets which tinkle as they walk and tourists to select the best
amongst them for the 'Best decorated Elephant' Shield. One another
more exciting is the elephant races, elephant-polo matches and very
interesting tug of war between elephants and 19 men and women. The
most colourful being the playing of Holi on Elephant back.
Jaipur's famous and most important festivals, the elephant festival
is same as the Desert Festival of Jaisalmer. The Elephant Festival
has become a major draw for the tourists during their travel and
tour of Jaipur.
