A Painted Elephant

A Painted Elephant - Day 148 - Daily Content Challenge

In India elephants are elaborately decorated, painted and celebrated.

In the City of Jaipur in Rajasthan, they hold an Elephant Festival on the day of Holi, which generally falls in February or March. The Holi Festival is celebrated as a way to welcome spring. In 2022, the day of Holi is March 18. At the Jaipur Elephant Festival elephants

are decorated with jewellery, brocade scarves, and very vibrant colours for this annual event.

Elephants share a royal importance in the state of Rajasthan. They have always been used as a mode of royal transport by the Maharajas to travel from one region to another. Jaipur used to witness and celebrate parades of victorious kings who rode on elephant backs, while making rounds of the city in honour of winning a war.

In Hindu mythology elephants hold a great significance. An elephant was the custom mode of transportation for Lord Indra who is considered the god of heaven in the Hindu culture. As well the elephant is believed to have offered his head to Lord Ganesha who was once beheaded by his own angry father. The elephant is not only celebrated but also respected and prayed to by the Hindus.

Elephants are very obedient, calm and caring animals. They follow the call of their leader no matter what, and they have a great memory that enables them to remember places that they have been before.

The elephant represents qualities of obedience, the ability to not repeat past mistakes, of respect and care towards others. The big ears of an elephant are symbolic of how one should listen more than speak. This reminds me of the expression, ‘God gave humans two ears but only one mouth’. We need to listen more and talk less.

Have a great day everyone.