Festivals of India in the month of March

Elephant Festival

 

Elephants are regarded precious and majestic since “puranic” era. The supremacy of Elephant is also well illustrated in the Hindu Mythology. According to legends, at the time of ‘Samudra Manthan’ when demon and Gods were busy in “churning the ocean”(samudra manthan),Gods were fortunate to receive an elephant called “Airavata” which latter became the divine vehicle (vahana) of Indra. Since then Elephant has become a symbol of royalty in Indian culture and many festivals are also associated with it

Out of several festivals celebrated with elephants, the one which is widely participated by Indians and foreign tourists is the Elephant Festival celebrated in Jaipur on the day of Holi in Phalgun. This is an annual event held at Jaipur Chagan Stadium where people gather in large crowds to celebrate the occasion with much pump and gaiety.

Jaipur Elephant Festival, perhaps the only festival where Elephants are given prime importance. Here, as you would expect from the name of the Festival – Elephants are the center of attraction.

During the festival, Jaipur comes alive with elephants, dancers and musicians which draw visitors from all over the world. The elephants stride majestic-experience for everybody by parading their decorated trunks and tusks. And the most noticeable feature of this festival is that all the Elephants which take part in this festival are female Elephants.

Image courtesy: https://www.google.co.in/search?q=elephant+festival+jaipur&hl