The 18th Elephant and Tourism Festival began in Sauraha on Thursday, coinciding with Christmas and the English New Year celebrations. Organised by the regional Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) Sauraha since 2005, the festival will run until Monday, December 30, at the Bagmara Buffer Zone Community Forest ground near Sauraha.

The opening ceremony featured a parade of decorated elephants and vibrant cultural displays from indigenous Tharu and other local communities. However, in response to animal rights concerns, the Chitwan Festival Organising Committee and animal activists have decided not to include elephant polo, which was previously a major attraction.