The Elephant Festival commences with an eye-catching beautiful procession of bedecked elephants, camels, horses and folk dancers. The massive beasts are covered in vibrant colours, jhools (saddle cloth) and heavy glittering ornaments and embroidered velvets. Right from their trunks and foreheads to their feet they are ornamented with floral motifs and trinkets as well as their tusk and tail. The female ones are made to wear anklets making a tinkling sound as they walk. One can see that they are actually enjoying all the attention they are getting. The procession is a creative recreation of scenes from the royal past of Rajasthan. The echoing sound of the bankiya (trumpet) fills the atmosphere.
As is Holi tradition, riders sprinkle gulaal (coloured powder) to the excited onlookers who shout in glee as they are covered and drenched with colours. After that, there is a series of elephant fights.
There are also numerous games where the elephants take part. Elephant polo, elephant race and a tug-of-war between elephant and 19 men and women, the favourite game of the Festival. Another interest is the elephant beauty pageant in which prizes are given to the most beautifully decorated elephant. But elephant polo steals the show. In this, players wearing saffron and red turbans sit on elephants trying hard to score goals with long sticks and a plastic football.
Dance and music performances add to the excitement. At the end, there is a colourful fight where participants throw flowers and colours at each other to celebrate Holi. The event finally reaches its conclusion with a brilliant firework display. |
