Every year, villagers travel from far and wide to attend the harvest Festivals. While some bring fine carpets to the market, others come to share delicious mango juice. The praying men honor the Holy Cows, and the children tease mischievous monkeys and gasp at the snake charmers. But even with all this excitement, the main event of the festival is the Elephant Race. Young men and women spend days painting joyous and reverent decorations on their elephants steed for this one moment when they can surge though the crowds of the festive villagers, push and shove their way past other racing pachyderms, and brave the tiger-filled forests and narrow mountains paths. The bell rings, the elephants trumpet their excitement, and the race begins!