The Elephant is the most revered, protected and well treated of any animal in India. The culture of India includes the elephant in its historical, royal, religious and mythological importance. Although the elephant was used mainly for shifting heavy items and as a weapon when fighting wars, it was also the main means of transportation of the King or Maharaja. There are festivals held in India each year in which the highly bejeweled and velvet adorned elephants are the prime attraction. These festivals are held not only as tourist attractions, but also to remind the people of their heritage. A one minute video of an elephant parade can be seen at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdyrmj_elephant-festival-jaipur_travel. One of the many blogs that explain the festivals is found at http://www.indialine.com/travel/rajasthan/jaipur/elephant-festival.html .
If you wish to have the students draw their own elephant, there is a good tutorial of how to draw an elephant at http://www.easy-drawings-and-sketches.com/draw-an-elephant.html. If you experience time restraints, you may want to use the patterns enclosed.
Supplies:
- White construction paper
- Elephant 1 (Pattern)
- Elephant 2 (Pattern)
- Pencil and eraser
- Colored markers
- Scissors
- Glue
- Glitter glue
- Colored construction paper for background
- Optional: beads, feathers, etc.
Directions:
1. On the white construction paper, draw or print elephant images.
2. Draw the caparison, or blanket, on the elephant. Draw a nettipattom, or headdress, on the elephants head. Add designs on them and on the elephant. Add tassels or bells to the caparison and the nettipattom, bracelets on the elephant’s legs, etc.
3. Color the elephant, caparison and nettipattom.
4. Carefully cut out the elephant and glue it to the colored background that you have chosen to accent the colors you have used.
5. To enhance your art, outline where you chose with the glitter glue. Also with the glitter glue make a decorative design around the edges of the background paper. Let dry.
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