Even a quick glance at Tripti Pandey’s latest book India’s Elephants: A Cultural Legacy catches one’s complete attention with its undeniably vibrant cover.
The launch of the book was at Rambagh Palace in Jaipur. Tripti adds that she’s especially happy to be presenting the book at the elephant village near Jaipur, “2017 has been special in that it helped me unfold this legacy. Elephants now have a proper dwelling place in the state. The development of the village brought about an awareness of using these animals for tourism.”
Trials, trunks and tropes
The curation and formulation of India’s Elephants took a good five years, taking into account diverse anecdotes and mythologies around the mammal. “I thought I would have done this very quickly as I live in Jaipur and I am in regular contact with mahouts. But when I began my research, I was nowhere near starting to touch upon what I wanted to cover. So I travelled across India where each area has a different legacy around these creatures. In Rajasthan alone, there’s a diverse narrative which I had to revisit to get the essence in various depictions. That, plus selecting Durbar photographs from William Pitt’s collection in England was extremely helpful. I also travelled to Sikkim this year to these special monasteries which showcase elephants in a different light.”
Looking back, Tripti acknowledges that her work in the tourism sector has helped this project, adding she already had an innate love for these creatures. “It’s easy to have the geographical and scientific knowledge of these animals but their cultural significance is something worth exploring. They’ve provided us with a timeless cultural corridor.”
Tripti adds that artistic forms of these animals are also important, explaining that these creatures are revered in different ways. Her book indicates these as well, featuring photographs of Lord and Lady Curzon riding elephants, paintings and stone art from the 15th Century.
Home connections
Tripti who did her Masters in History of Ancient Indian History and Indian Culture, finds the enduring nature of elephants has taken form in her day-to-day life, as well. “In 2017, what I really felt good about is my family had a great reunion earlier this month which turned out to be a celebration of the heritage of elephants. The kids were talking about elephants and what these animals mean to them; be it in terms of religion or the environment. My sister also brought in some elephant chocolates to make this event more special. The unfolding of this was within my family which showed I could inculcate this feeling in people through my work.”
The sense of unity created is also reflective of the remarkable sense of family elephants are known to have, which has truly inspired Tripti. She mentions the mahouts are just as attached to the ideologies of India’s Elephants even though they may not be able to read, adding they are particularly grateful for such a book.
At the end of the day, pulling together India’s Elephants taught Tripti to be patient in her work. There were times she was not entirely sure if she was ever going to publish the book; but clearly all worked out well in the end. She’s thankful that she’s able to contribute to eras of conversation around elephants, inviting people to re-evaluate their takes on them for years to come.
‘India’s Elephants: A Cultural Legacy’ (Penguin India) is available online and in book stores across the country for ₹3999.
