Elephants once carried warriors into battle. Now they carry bridegrooms in splendid wedding processions.
The Elephant Festival takes over the city of Jaipur every year. The animals are draped with jewelry and given majestic multi-color makeovers (including pediucures), before doing a procession through the streets.
Later, they race, play elephant polo, and take part in a human vs. animal tug-of-war.
The elephants are decorated with the same kinds of pigments that are used during Holi, the Hindu festival in which celebrants splash each other with bright colors.
After the celebration mahouts scrub the elephants’ skin to remove the paint, but some residue remains. A mixture of sweet oils is rubbed into the elephants' hides to keep them from drying out.
As art and religious expression, this is beautiful.
Otherwise…I’d rather they were roaming wild.
Be sure to see the other participants in Beverly's Pink Saturday and what they're offering this week to amuse and entertain and enthrall you!
Now, you go and make something beautiful!
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´
(¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥
(¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥
My latest holiday album inspired by the Nutcracker Suite
Not listed in my shop yet, if interested, just contact me!
6 comments:
Hi Tristan,
You are right. As a work of art, the elephants are beautiful. They are such great, gentle creatures to let themselves be painted, but it would be really nice if they were left alone to be wild.
I love elephants and would often visit them at the Toronto Zoo when they were there. They have been moved to a more suitable environment where they are allowed to roam and the weather is warmer. I do miss them, but I also know that they are better off out of Toronto.
In keeping with your theme, I believe that somewhere in Africa there is a practice of painting cows.
Tristan,
So pretty!! Before Barnum and Bailey retired the elephants, they used to have beautiful sequined blankets or why ever you call them that they used to put on them for the circus parade. Thanks so much for stopping by and your sweet comments!!
Hugs,
Deb
Wow, what a lot of effort, to so colorfully paint an elephant. They are stunningly beautiful. I can't bear to think of what an elephant must have to go through to allow this beauty to be created. Glad at least the color is the same as humans use on themselves.
Those colors are magnificent, aren't that. And what a regal animal. They're so beautiful and all th emore so here. They deserve that glitz to be sure!
I loved your make-something pix, too!
Thanks for your visits to Marmelade Gypsy. So glad to have been discovered and discovered you in turn!
Wow what a gorgeous full of color post!! Yes, I would rather these majestic creatures were out roaming in the wild as well. I am however very happy that these elephants are sacred in India, therefore treated as such.
As always, your posts are so interesting as well as beautiful- what a lovely way to spend my coffee time- with you!
Jackie ")
Oh dear Tristan, I just remembered I forgot to tell you how extravagantly exquisite your Nutcracker book is!!I am a huge fan of The Nutcracker and you certainly did honor to the story with your glorious pages! I especially like the page with The Nutcracker tied with ribbon as a gift-perfect!
Your lace edges are beautiful and set the pages off so well!Bravo!
hugs,Jackie
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