Elephant Festival, Chitwan – A Jumbo Event
Come December, locals and foreign tourists flock to the tourist village of Sauraha,
located in the lush and luxuriant woods of Chitwan National Park to celebrate the
Elephant Festival.
The event organized by the Regional Hotel Association Nepal has been a yearly activity
since it was first organized in 2005. The prime objective of this event is to promote
Elephant Based Safari and cultural tourism in Chitwan, as well as to draw the attention of
the people towards the decreasing number of elephants in the Chitwan area. The
inhabitants of Sauraha, who are mostly dependent on tourism, has benefited largely from
this event.
During the festival one gets to witness the elephant march past or parade, the bathing and
decoration of the elephants and of course, the chief highlight of the festival, the elephant
race. A photo exhibition and documentary shows covering the life cycle of elephants is
shown. In the past, the event has been covered by national and international media like
BBC, Chinese and Indian TV channels, national newspapers and T.V. channels of Nepal.
Chitwan National Park
With its lush forests and exotic fauna which include the rare one horned rhino, the Royal
Bengal tiger, crocodiles, elephants, deer and over four-hundred species of birds, the
Chitwan National Park offers one of the finest wildlife experiences in Asia. Lying in the
Terai belt, and ringed by the Churia Hills, Chitwan is flanked by the rivers Rapti, Reu and
Narayani. The Chitwan National Park was established in 1973 and is the oldest National
Park in Nepal. The park became a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers a total area of
932 sq kms.
During the late 19th century, Chitwan was the private hunting reserve of the Rana Prime
Ministers. In 1911, King George V led a hunting party to Chitwan and is said to have shot
thirty-seven tigers and eight rhinos. The jungle of Chitwan was a favorite haunt among
Nepalese royalty. It is said during 1933-40 the king and his guests killed around four
hundred and thirty-three tigers and fifty-three rhinos. By the late 1960s the population of
rhinos and tigers in Chitwan had dwindled drastically due to indiscriminate hunting and
poaching. The declaration of Chitwan as a national park in1973 and the imposition of
strict measures against poaching and unauthorized conversion of forest to farmland have
helped in increasing the wildlife population. At present Chitwan National Park is
regarded as one of the most developed and most frequently visited of Nepal’s national
parks.
Tourist Village of Sauraha – Site of the Festival
The Tourist Village of Sauraha lies at the main gateway to the Chitwan National Park.
The presence of elephants in Sauraha is overwhelming. A survey and research conducted
at the initiation of Regional Hotel Association Nepal, Chitwan in 2006 showed the
elephant population in Nepal at 200.Out of the 200, about 64% of the elephants were
found in the Tourist Village of Sauraha, (the main gateway to the national park) and
nearby areas. It is estimated that some 20 wild elephants also visit the national park on
their yearly journey from the Himalayan foothills to the Terai. They are found to frequent
the Elephant Breeding Center at Sauraha Tourist Village. The display at the visitor centre
at Sauraha provides fascinating information on wildlife and conservation program. The
women's user groups' souvenir shop offers a variety of handicrafts and other local
products for gifts and souvenirs.
Elephant safari provides opportunity to get a closer view of the endangered one-horned
rhinoceros. One may also get a glimpse of the elusive Bengal tiger. The Elephant
Breeding Center at Khorsor, Sauraha gives you information on captive elephants and the
calves born there.
The museum at Kasara, the park headquarters, has informative displays. A short walk
(1km) from the park HQ will take you to the Gharial Breeding Center, which is also
home to the Marsh mugger and a number of turtles.
Tourism in Sauraha and Chitwan National Park is heavily dependent on a small
population of domesticated and trained working elephant. It can be estimated that at least
2000 people and their families are directly dependent on elephant safari based tourism.
Some 15 restaurants, 80 elephants and 40-dugout canoe provide employments to some
500, and at least another 150 persons are engaged in marketing and communication.
There are many hotels, lodges and shop dependent on tourism industry in Sauraha. All
this shows the importance of elephants, which very clearly have been helping at least
10,000 people of Sauraha Tourist Village for the last 10 years. Also, unlike in Africa
where Safari Tourism is based on noisy and polluting Land Rovers, elephant based safari
is more interesting and beneficial from ecological, economic and sociological point of
view.
Elephant festival – Main Activities & Attractions
The activities during the fest include:
1. Elephant Parade (march past),
2. Elephant Bathing,
3. Traditional Elephant Decoration,
4. International Elephant Race
5. Elephant Soccer match
6. Photo exhibition & documentary shows depicting the life cycle of elephants
7. Canoeing, ox cart & horse racing
8. Cultural Program
9. Food Festival
International Elephant Race – Chief Attraction
The main highlight of the Elephant Festival is the International Elephant Race. To
participate in the event, one has to register by filling up the registration form. The
registration cost is NR10,000/- for Nepali participant or company and US$ 200/- for
foreign participating company. The registration fee covers the fee for one participating
elephant, four nights accommodation for two people, with bed and breakfast (1 double
room).Last year (2007) 20 national and international organizations had participated in the
race. Jung Bahadur, the elephant sponsored by Asia World Enterprises, Thailand won the
race.
