Kamal Ghorui
JAIPUR: A viral photo-shoot in the city featuring an elephant painted in bright pink triggered a wave of criticism online and renewed concerns about the use of animals in creative projects. The images, shot in Nov 2025 by Russian photographer, Julia Buruleva, resurfaced on social media in March and quickly drew attention for their striking visuals as well as the ethical questions they raise.Buruleva first shared the ‘pink elephant’ post on Instagram in Dec 27, 2025. Later, in a post on Feb 18 on the same platform, she said, “For anyone worried about the elephant — we used organic, locally made paint, the same kind locals use for festivals, so it was absolutely safe for the animal.”In another post on March 20, Buruleva explained that the concept came to her during her first week in Jaipur. She wrote that elephants are deeply associated with Rajasthan and are visible in the city’s streets, ornaments, and architecture. Wanting to include one in her work, she said she chose to paint the animal a solid bright pink, describing it as the most popular colour in Rajasthan. She also wrote the shoot took place at an abandoned temple of Lord Ganesha, calling it a fitting setting.On Monday, members from Amer’s Hathi Gaon said the elephant was cleaned within 30 minutes of the shoot to ensure that the animal faced no discomfort because of the colour.
