Hathi Bhata

Eastern Rajasthan


About 22km out of town, off the Tonk–Sawai Madhoper Rd, is this huge elephant carved out of a single block of stone. The pachyderm was carved in 1200 – the date is given in script on the elephant’s right ear. Beside the elephant are 64 plate-sized depressions in the rock. This is where worshippers sit and eat at festival times; the flickering firelight from the open restaurant must make the hathi (elephant) an impressive sight.