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A Chronicle of the Paris Indian Elephant Festival Procession, Part 1
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A Chronicle of the Paris Indian Elephant Festival Procession, Part 2
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The Crowded Crowd - A Chronicle of the Paris Indian Elephant Festival Procession, Part 3
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Three Hindu Palanquins in Total: One for Men
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Three Hindu Palanquins in Total: One for Women
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Offerings Placed Along the Route to Welcome the Divine Palanquin
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Offerings Presented to Welcome the Divine Palanquin

Text and images by Chen Chi-Hsiang. Held on the last Sunday of August each year in the Indian district of the 18th arrondissement of Paris, this year marks its 19th edition. The procession begins at the only Hindu temple in Paris and travels to the 10th arrondissement. Paris is filled with exotic charm, making one feel as if they are in India. There are three elephant god palanquins; one is pulled by men, another by women, all barefoot. Offerings are placed along the route to welcome the palanquins. When the palanquins pass, owners smash piles of coconuts nearby, symbolizing the liberation of the physical body toward enlightenment. Immersed in this exotic atmosphere, one also experiences the mystery of Hinduism, witnessing the profundity of existence through the image of the Elephant God and its symbolic objects and rituals.