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Recreating the atmosphere of a bygone era

Photo: GOPAL SUNGER

Fun and joy: Tourists celebrate Holi during the elephant festival at Chougan Stadium in Jaipur on Friday.

JAIPUR: Colours came up jumbo size at the Elephant Festival of Jaipur organised on Holi-eve on Friday at the Chougan Stadium in the Walled City area. Jaipur is one of the few cities in the world where a sizable population of elephants exists and there was an impressive array of the pachyderms at the event as well.

The event, which has become a major attraction for tourists from abroad, stood its reputation as hordes of foreigners turned up to witness the royal splendour of a bygone era coming alive once again as mirthful pachyderms pranced, cavorted and played with colours against the backdrop of the City Palace.

Rajasthan Tourism organises the event to recreate the atmosphere of the royal processions that used to be in the past. The District Administration, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation and Elephant Owners’ Association are the co-organisers.

The festival began with a grand procession of elephants, camels, horses and folk dancers and was of immense delight to the onlookers -- who included a good number of local populations this time -- and a great photo opportunity for the lens-men.

The proud mahouts paraded their elephants decorated for the occasion with brightly coloured “jhools” and heavy jewellery. The female jumbos wore anklets which tinkled as they walked. Prizes were given away to the most beautifully decorated elephants. The highlight of the festival were elephant decoration competition and Holi on elephants, the latter a rare opportunity to watch the fast movements of the bulky animal.

Perhaps the most amazing attraction of the festival was a tug-of-war between 20 foreign tourists and an elephant. There were two rounds out of which the elephant won both times making the humans virtually give a long rope to the graceful animal!

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Recreating the atmosphere of a bygone era

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