Travels on My Elephant by Mark Shand

Started on a whim and pursued with a passion, modern-day adventurer Mark Shand's remarkable journey through India on the back of a 30-year-old elephant named Tara covered 800 miles, from the Bay of Bengal to the world's largest elephant bazaar at Sonepur on the Ganges. This story of man and elephant is by turns exciting, terrifying and moving. With an ear for the comic, an eye for the exotic and a taste for the bizarre, Shand paints a vivid picture of Indian life, customs and locale as he takes us through his daily adventures with Tara in this transporting memoir.

This was a delightful book that I read at the same meandering pace as the author's trip aboard Tara, his faithful elephant. It gives a good behind-the-scenes look at what elephants are like, what it is like living among Indians, and some of the different cultures are that make up this vast and diverse nation.

A “flying jumbo“ in royal regalia

The flying jumbo in royal regalia used to enthrall spectators
gathered at Rajpath in New Delhi

But this caparisoned jumbo was no ordinary pachyderm. It was a small helicopter, modified to resemble a “dancing elephant“ and flew over the Rajpath during the Republic Day parade.

Needless to say , its performance was the pièce de résistance of the fly past showcased by the Indian Air Force on Republic Day . Manoeuvering of the copter was no mean feat. It not only required extensive practice and high skill on part of the pilot but also a high level of technical expertise as external 'attachments' were fitted to the flying machine and any laxity meant disaster.

Isn't this wonderful? What imagination and skill this took. I wish I could see these jumbos in action but it happened 40 years ago. Read the whole story at Times of India.