Elephant Festival Jaipur
Most Amazing Festivals in the World
The annual Elephant Festival, held at the Jaipur polo grounds in the city of Jaipur, state of Rajasthan, India, has been continuous since ancient times and is therefore one of the oldest world festivals. It is entirely a tribute to the intelligent, strong and wise elephants that have been essential to Indian culture for centuries. For those who fear that elephants are not kindly treated, rest assured this celebrates them, not abusing them, and they are kept well by trained “mahouts”. The pachyderms seem to understand this is all about them and they get into the swing.
Held on the eve of the Holi Festival, the Elephant Festival is a delight for young and old, with street food and vendors, music and dancing. It starts with a parade of female elephants, decorated with colourful rugs, anklets and other jewellery, and even with painted designs. These natural paints (the orange ones are, for example, made from turmeric), in their dry form, are tossed about the human celebrants, so everybody turns pink or orange!
This festival demonstrates the high regard in which elephants are held in this area of India. They are royalty to the locals. A few camels and horses also participate in the events. After the parade, there are elephant races, dances, polo matches and tug-of-war competitions. It’s a fun day for all.
Most Amazing Festivals in the World
Mardi Gras New Orleans
Steeped in tradition as well as embroiled in controversy, Mardi Gras is celebrated throughout the American state of Louisiana, with a focus in the French...
Elephant Festival Jaipur
The annual Elephant Festival, held at the Jaipur polo grounds in the city of Jaipur, state of Rajasthan, India, has been continuous since ancient times...
Rio Carnival
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the largest amazing world festival on earth. Its current form has been in place since 1723, but it had...
Albuquerque International Balloon Festival
For nine days, beginning in the first full week of October every year, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place in the Rio Grande Valley...
Oktoberfest
There is more than one Oktoberfest in the world, but the biggest and oldest (begun in 1810) traditional “Wiesn” takes place in Munich, Germany, annually for...
PingXi Sky Lantern Festival
The Pingxi Lantern Festival in Taiwan has enjoyed 100 years of candle-lit night skies, but has increasingly come under criticism for environmental issues and fire hazards...
World Body Painting Festival
Body painting is nothing new; ancient tribes have practised this art for millennia. This festival, held annually since 1998 in early July in the southern part...
Songkran Water Festival
Until the mid-1900s, Thailand (together with Malaysia and Siam) celebrated only their traditional new year, Songkran, on April 13 of each year, not the typically...
Burning Man Festival
From a seemingly simple act of building a wooden man to burn in celebration of the 1986 Summer Solstice to a return to the peace, love...
Venice Carnival
Called “carnevale” in Italy, the Venice Carnival began modestly in 1162 when a victorious fighter for the Republic of Venice returned from battle and a celebration...
Most Amazing Festivals in the World
We humans work hard and when we play, we celebrate. The array and variety of amazing world festivals is an example of how lavishly we...
Destinations to Discover
Things to Do in New York City
New York City is an expensive place to live (it boasts the highest number of resident billionaires of all the cities on earth), with the...
Most Amazing Festivals in the World
We humans work hard and when we play, we celebrate. The array and variety of amazing world festivals is an example of how lavishly we...
Canadas Most Scenic National Parks
From sea (Pacific) to sea (Atlantic) to sea (Arctic), every province and territory in Canada boasts designated national parks for visitors from around the world...
Incredible Must See Sacred Places
Where is your sacred place? What is a sacred place to you? For those of us living in modern times, a sacred place might literally...
Amazing U.S. National Parks
The United Sates of America is vast, and not only contiguous; it has offshore islands and territories in faraway locales. Its large northern peninsula, the...
Things to Do in Aruba
Part of the Netherlands Antilles group of Caribbean islands — the “A” in the “ABC” (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) — Aruba is surprisingly affordable. It lacks the...
Things to Do in Venice
In the global battle for most romantic city in the world, the Venice versus Paris finals often switch winners, but here at Affordable Travel, we...
Things to Do in Athens
Athens, Greece, has been the city of cultural imagination and classical history for over three millennia. The largest city in Greece, Athens, the namesake of...
Things to Do in London
London, England. The words still evoke an era, probably the 1960s and 19670s of mods and rockers, Carnaby Street, youth culture, Princess Margaret, the Beatles...
Things to Do in Paris
What more can be written about Paris that has not already been scribed, spoken or filmed? It’s one of the foremost cities of the...