The Painted Elephant Parade

Large crowds gather in the streets of Jaipur, India, toward the end of March. The air is thick with anticipation and excitement. Delicious aromas of samosas, malpuas (sweet pancakes), savory kabobs, and spicy kachoris drift around the boulevard. The rhythmic pounding of traditional wooden drums called dhols starts to reverberate across town. The beating announces the beginning of one of the most majestic and colorful parades in the world — the annual Elephant Parade that marks the beginning of Holi.

It’s a jaw-dropping, eye-catching line of color and sound as these massive moving canvases stroll down the street. Trunks swinging, tails swishing, the female pachyderms proudly strut their stuff. Their trunks are dusted with gold and decorated with rings and tie-dyed scarves, their ankles bedecked with loads of jingly bells. Their mahouts, their personal elephant caretakers, ride atop vibrant-colored jhools, or saddle cloths. They too are dressed in their finest, often carrying silken parasols, muttukuda, and waving white tufts of vencamaran. After the gala, many of these outsized beauties will compete in a modeling pageant, a game of tug-of-war, and even polo.

Several festivals throughout Asia celebrate the elephant, but none are quite as colorful as Jaipur’s Elephant Parade. The parade is the first event of Holi, an ancient Hindu celebration also known as the Festival of Colors or Festival of Love. Holi marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring and celebrates the triumph of good over evil. During this riotous and highly colorful festival, people let go of any anger and resentments toward others and unite in forgiveness, love, and fun.

With all this joyous color, it’s no wonder that the painted elephants play a colossal role during Holi. But how do people paint elephants? Just like any art project, they need a smock, plenty of paintbrushes, and water. But these artisans must be extra careful because their canvas tends to move and has extremely heavy feet. A soft voice, gentle hands, another person to help, and some tasty snacks for the elephants are all important elements, too.

The painters often plan the motifs, or designs, for days before they even touch their giant friends. Designs are drawn on paper or laptops, and then, of course, enlarged. Lotus blossoms, peacocks, tigers, and mandala symbols are all common patterns. A good artist can “hide” the elephant herself behind all the detailed artwork.

Once the artist is ready to paint the pachyderm, the elephant is cleaned. Any hay, dirt, and dust are brushed off, and hoof nails are thoroughly scoured and buffed pre-pedicure. The initial designs are typically outlined in white paint across the elephant before they are filled in with the flamboyant colors. Hours later, the moving models are outfitted with their special jewelry. These elephants sometimes wear large, dangling earrings covered in faux jewels, glamorous gold- and silver-plated caparisons that rest on their foreheads, and loads of silver and gold rings along their tusks and ankles.

These sensational elephants usually participate only in religious festivals, but they can sometimes be seen strolling in the crowded market streets offering rides right alongside cars, bikes, and people. Of course, not everyone can see a real-life painted elephant, but you may be able to see an incredibly life-like ceramic one. In 2006, a father and son were inspired to help the wild elephant population after seeing a baby elephant with only three legs; the fourth was lost to a landmine. Banding activists and artists together, they created the world’s largest art exhibition of decorated elephant statues. Based on the actual height and size of baby elephants, these stunning statues were created to bring awareness to the declining wild elephant populations. Each one is unique, and these elephants parade around the world, in cities such as Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, and London.

If you’re inspired to paint an elephant, whether real, ceramic, or on paper, you just have to answer one question — how do you really paint an elephant?

One brushstroke at a time, of course.