Chitwan. The Elephant Festival, which was postponed due to the Corona epidemic, is about to resume after four years. After 2018, the elephant festival is going to be held this year. Preparations have been made for the 17th Elephant and Tourism Festival to be organized by the Regional Hotel Association of Sauraha. The festival is going to be organized from the 10th to the 14th of January with the aim of attracting tourists during the English New Year.

According to Omprakash Pandey, coordinator of the elephant and tourism festival, the festival, which has been stopped for a long time, is going to be held in a new way this time. Discussions have been started with stakeholders for the festival. He said that this time it was trying to make it different from the previous festival by conducting only elephant-friendly activities. According to him, this year there will be no activities like football, polo, and elephant races in Chhawa, which were being done earlier, because of the complaints that the elephants are suffering.

Gunaraj Thapalia, the general secretary of the regional hotel association, said that this time, the organizers are planning to hold an elephant forest feast and an elephant beauty contest only. Along with this, boat races, tourist conferences, and seminars will be held. The main attraction of the elephant festival is the elephant beauty contest, he said. After evaluating the cleanliness, health, and decoration of the elephant, the elephant will be awarded the title of beauty. In the festival, the elephant will be given leave, and one day he will be served his favorite food.
This time, Dipendra Khatiwada, president of the United Elephant Operation Cooperative, informed us that 40 elephants, including 30 private ones, will participate in the forest banquet. He said that the conservation of elephants is a priority, and he said that the program with elephant care and health will be the main attraction at present.

This time, the festival is going to be held at Chitrasari Square. Earlier, an elephant festival was held in Baghmara Central Community Forest. Domestic and foreign tourists come to Sauraha every year to observe the wildlife, birds, and waterfowl in the Chitwan National Park, the intermediate community forest, and the rivers that flow along with it.

Suman Ghimire, the former president of the association, said that the elephant festival is being held to provide a new taste of entertainment to the tourists who come here. He said that the festival, which will be held on the occasion of the English New Year, will attract more foreign tourists as well as locals.