This story appears in the August 2013 issue of National Geographic magazine. The royalty of India—Hindu and Muslim—understood long ago that power was best wielded from the back of an elephant.

Explore the rich cultural heritage of India through its Top 8 Traditional Painting Styles. Discover the origins, unique ...

Elephants have long held a special place in Indian culture and ecosystems, but the way we engage with them is evolving — and rightly so. Whether it's walking alongside them in peaceful ...

WWF works to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife, collaborating with partners from local to ...

The film highlights cultural traditions, with men painting the heads and trunks of elephants and adorning them in elaborate costumes for parades. Accompanying these beautifully decorated elephants ...

So imagine our surprise when we discovered tantalising photographic evidence of the largest land animal on the continent - the Asian elephant - not only navigating the steep landscape of India’s ...