The
Elephant Festival gets underway in the month of Phalgun (March) on the eve
of Holi, the festival of colors. The festival begins with a
procession of elephants, camels, horses and folk dancers.
The
sight of mighty jumbos striding majestically is a treat to watch. The
mahavats or owners proudly decorate their elephants with bright colors,
jhools (saddle cloth) and heavy jewellery. Female elephants are made to wear
payals or anklets which tinkle as they walk. Prizes are given for the most
beautifully decorated elephant. Even more exciting is the polo match, the
Elephant race, the tug-of-war between Elephant and 19 men & Women. The
most colourful being the playing of Holi on Elephant back.
| » History of
Elephant Festival |
The Jataka stories of Buddhism refer to the tradition of
Hastimangala (the Elephant Festival). A royal mount from time immemorial,
the elephant has also been a symbol of strength and wealth. For the Rajput
kings, the elephants were of especial significance not only during war but
also during the royal festivities-a must at royal pageant. Nishan-ka-hathi,
the flag carrier, 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 favorite with the important
personalities of the British Raj and the Maharajas always arranged for their
guests of honor elephant rides up to the Amber palace. Even today, the
mahouts take tourists up to the Amber Palace on elephant back.
Rajasthan
Tourism revived the tradition by including the Elephant Festival in the
cultural calendar. The present-day pageant, originated only a decade ago,
was devised 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 the day after Holi, the old stadium
at Jaipur, the Chaugan (originally planned for elephants), forms the venue
for a spectacular jamboree.
| » Places to
Stay in Jaipur |
There are several budget hotels and paying guest accommodations available in
Jaipur. Heritage Hotel in Jaipur includes the Ramgarh Lodge, Royal Castle
Kanota, Raj Mahal Palace, which pamper tourists with royal treatment. For
budget vacationers, there are also Five star hotels that includes names such
as Man Singh Towers, Hotel Jaipur Palace, The Ethnic Village Resort. Many
Jaipur hotels are a part of leading hotels chains like the Taj Hotels and
Resorts, Oberoi group of hotels, Welcome group of hotels, and the Mansingh
group of hotels.
| » Best Time to
visit Jaipur |
Summer ranges from 25°C to a maximum of 45°C, while winter
lies between 22°C to a low of 8°C. The rainy seasons are very
humid starting from July to mid September. The best time to visit Jaipur is
between October to March.
Air : Indian Airlines connect Jaipur with Delhi,
Jodhpur, Udaipur, Aurangabad, Bombay, Varanasi, Calcutta, Ahmedabad.
Rail : Jaipur is connected by rail with Delhi,
Agra, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Abu Road (Mount Abu), Udaipur, Bombay and Sawai
Madhopur.
Road : Good motorable roads connect
Jaipur with Delhi 258 km, Agra 236 km, Bikaner 321 km, Udaipur 405 km, Ajmer
131 km, Jodhpur 316 km, Bharatpur 176 km, Jaisalmer 638 km and Bombay 1202
km
Like most other north Indian cities, Jaipur too has extreme
climate. The summers can be very hot with mercury crossing 45 degree,
whereas winters are chilled and the temperature can fall below 5 degrees.
Elephant Festival
