Traveller's Diary: Shutterbugs & elephant lovers should head to Goa & Rajasthan

ET-Travel offers you events in Luxury, Entertainment, Food, Sports, Music and Nightlife to experience around the world:

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL

When: Till Feb 21, 2015

Where: Goa



The International Photography Festival is the brainchild of Shantanu Sheorey, Founder, The One School Goa. The festival will showcase the works of established and emerging Indian and International photographers to help discover, inspire and develop the next generation of photographers and creative thinkers. The exhibition will be showcasing the World Press photo, an exhibition of 143 award winning photographs showcasing creativity in photojournalism.



Another interesting facet of the festival is the curated dialogues between photo experts and budding enthusiasts towards using photography for visual story-telling through glamour shoots, travel/lifestyle blogs, wildlife and camera workshops, and a carnival photo walk.
SAIDAI-JI EYO HADAKA MATSURI

When: Feb 21, 2015

Where: Japan



Nine thousand men wearing only loincloths struggle fiercely with one another over a pair of lucky sacred sticks, thrown into the crowd by the priest. The origins of this festival date back 500 years when worshippers competed to receive paper talismans called Go-o thrown by the priest. These paper talismans were tokens of the completion of New Year ascetic training by the priests.

As those people receiving these paper talismans had good things happen to them, the number of people requesting them increased year by year. However, as paper was easily torn, the talismans were changed to the wooden ofuda.

On the day of the festival, prior to the main event, there is a Hadaka Matsuri from 18:00 when primary school boys compete for rice cakes and cylindrical treasures.


ELEPHANT FESTIVAL

When: March 5, 2015

Where: Jaipur



Organised every year by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, the Elephant Festival is held at its official venue, Rambagh Polo Ground in Jaipur, and attracts thousands of eager tourists from across India and overseas.

Elephants are dressed in elegant attire, loaded with glitter and gold. Elephant polo is one of the most popular events of the festival where, the players wear saffron and red turbans, sit on the elephants, and try to score goals with long sticks and a plastic football.

The Festival also provides a platform for the folk tradition of Rajasthan. The festivities end with performances of folk dances; with a liberal splashing of Holi colours on all and sundry, and a spectacular display of fireworks.