Built especially for elephants, a swimming pool in Rajasthan provides relief to the jumbos from the scorching summer heat.
Situated at Amer on the outskirts of Jaipur, 'Haathi Gaon' or elephant village was built by the state government in 2010 to provide proper shelter and water facilities to elephants.
Mahouts or caretakers of the elephants say that the jumbos get thrilled whenever they go to the pool to bathe.
"Elephants bathe here during morning and evening because they cannot do it anywhere else. During summer, there is water scarcity and the specialty here is they get to bathe even during summer. Elephants drink almost 670 litres of water during summer to cope with the heat", said a mahout, Mohammad Shafiq.
Mahouts said that good rainfall received during monsoon last year ensured that the water level in the pool is enough for all the 110 elephants living in the village.
This pool is the only source of relief for the elephants who face difficulty during extreme summer because of their size.
This elephant sanctuary is also a popular tourist spot. Tourists coming to the village are enthralled by the scene of elephants bathing and playing.
"This is fantastic because I love elephants and they are obviously very happy here. It is unique that they get to walk in and swim like this. It is kind to them and this whole village for the elephants is a great idea. It makes sure that they are happy and safe", said an American tourist, Cindy Busby.
Locals say that by providing shelter to elephants, this village also enhances the state's reputation as a safe haven for animals.
