17th Elephant and Tourism Festival from December 26

CHITWAN, Dec 11:The Elephant Festival, which had been postponed for four years due to Corona, is about to resume. After 2018, the elephant festival will be held this year.

The Regional Hotel Association of Nepal Sauraha Chapter has begun preparations for the 17th Elephant and Tourism Festival. The festival will be held from the 26th to the 30th of December in order to attract tourists during the English New Year.

According to Omprakash Pandey, coordinator of the elephant and tourism festival, the festival, which has been on hold for a long time, will resume this year.

Stakeholders have begun discussions about the festival. He stated that this year's festival attempted to be different from previous ones by focusing solely on elephant-friendly activities.

According to him, there will be no such activities this year due to complaints that the elephants are suffering from previous activities such as football, polo, and elephant races.

Gunaraj Thapaliya, the association's general secretary, stated that the organizers are only planning an elephant banquet and an elephant beauty contest this time. Boat races, tourist conferences, and seminars will also be held.

The elephant beauty contest is the main attraction of the elephant festival; he stated that after evaluating the elephant's cleanliness, health, and decoration, the elephant will be awarded the title of beauty. The elephant will be given leave during the festival and will be served his favorite food one day.

According to Dipendra Khatiwada, president of the United Elephant Operation Cooperative, 40 elephants will participate in the forest feast this time, including 30 private elephants.

He stated that elephant conservation has been prioritized, and that the program focusing on elephant care and health will now be the main attraction.

This year's festival will be held at Chitrasari Ground. An elephant festival was previously held in Baghmara Central Community Forest. Every year, domestic and international tourists visit Sauraha to see the wild animals, birds, and waterfowl in the Chitwan National Park, the intermediate community forest, and the rivers that flow through it.

Suman Ghimire, the former president of the Association, stated that the elephant festival is being held to provide tourists with a new taste of entertainment. He stated that the festival, which will be held on the occasion of the English New Year, will attract both foreign tourists and locals.