Ceremonial elephant in the Navam Maha Perahera, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Ceremonial painted elephant at Amber Fort near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, Asia

Woman in colourful sari with a painted ceremonial elephant in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, Asia

Ceremonial elephant moves through crowd at Festival of Shivaratri in the streets of the holy city of Varanasi, Benares, Northern India

Ceremonial elephant moves through crowd at Festival of Shivaratri in the streets of the holy city of Varanasi, Benares, Northern India

Hindu ceremonial guard with elephant howdah 20th Century exhibit at Mehrangarh Fort at Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Northern India

Hindu ceremonial guard with elephant howdah 20th Century exhibit at Mehrangarh Fort at Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Northern India

Ceremonial elephant in the Navam Maha Perahera, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Asia