Here’s an elephant in the room that you would like to address—Gaj Mahotsav is being held in Delhi from August 12 to 15, 2018. The festival is meant to honour the Asian elephant as India’s national heritage animal; recognise its importance in ecology, mythology and literature; and create awareness on the denizen. It is being organised by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), so you can expect it to be quite a ‘jumbo’ affair.

A wide range of dance and musical performances will be held. There will also be an exhibition by famous painters and photographer displaying images of elephants in their natural habitat. As the event is family friendly, children will be able to indulge in many competitions and activities. They can enjoy art and creative-writing competitions, puppet shows and clay-modelling sessions.

The major attraction is a series of 101 paintings, with each depicting an elephant corridor of India. This will also be a series of workshops and discussion by prominent individuals such as Vivek Menon (author and photographer), Mike Pandey (Indian filmmaker specialised in wildlife and environment) and Ina Puri (arts impresario, curator and writer). You can also enjoy the screening of films based on elephants and a performance by the popular Indian band Euphoria. Gather all your friends and family, as there is no entry fee.

Venue: Indira Gandhi Centre for Arts, 11 Mansingh Road, New Delhi; entry from Gate No. 3. Time: 9am to 9pm. Visit Facebook or Instagram  for the schedule and more.

Nearby Places to Explore

> Visit India Gate, which is great to walk around during the evening.

> Jantar Mantar is a 200-year-old monument equipped with 13 gigantic architectural astronomy instruments—a goldmine for history and technology enthusiasts.

>The National Museum is one of India’s largest and consists of a wide range of exhibits from a prehistoric era to the modern world.

> The historical Connaught Place boasts of a wide range of restaurants, pubs, brands, and local books vendors.

> If you want to indulge in cheap street shopping, visit Janpath, which is just adjacent to Connaught Place.

Where to stay
Le Meridien New Delhi (From approx. ₹9,000 doubles, including breakfast) is a great five-star option nearby. If you’d like something cheaper, Connaught Place has the three-star Hotel Alka Classic (From ₹3,500, including breakfast). For budget traveller, Hotel Broadway in Chandni Chowk is a good bet (approx. ₹1,500 for two people including breakfast).

Where to Eat
Go to Wengers, the well-known bakery, which was started by a Swiss Couple. Al Jawahar at Chandni Chowk has delicious chicken korma and seekh kabab. The world-famous butter chicken was invented at Moti Mahal in Darya Ganj.