‘Pink Elephant’ Photoshoot In Jaipur Sparks Social Media Controversy, Instigates Official Probe

A viral ‘aesthetic’ photoshoot in Jaipur featuring a ‘pink elephant’ has instigated an official probe over alleged animal abuse and cruelty. Russian travel photographer Julia Buruleva, the artist behind the photoshoot, landed in the middle of a social media controversy after she showcased the behind the scenes images of her art project, which featured an elephant and a model astride the animal, both coated in bright pink color.

Buruleva, who had come to the city for an art expedition back in 2025, credited her six-week long stay in the ‘pink city of India’ as the inspiration behind the art venture. Acquiring inspiration from the city’s especial color palette, she thought to combine the monochromatic pink hue with the ‘main symbol’ of Jaipur, the elephant, which, according to her, was tied dearly to Jaipur’s cultural identity.

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Even though the original shoot was conducted in December 2025, the photos had recently started gaining traction on social media. When the behind the scenes images of the photoshoot went viral on social media, many users discredited it upon first glance as the images seemed to be AI-generated. However, later it was discovered that the shoot had actually taken place in an abandoned ganesha temple in Jaipur.

As the photos started spreading rapidly on the digital sphere, social media’s ire spread to both Buruleva and the authorities alike. Many users accused Buruleva of placing aesthetics over animal welfare, while others highlighted the pointed silence of animal rights organizations on this issue.

“Let’s go to India and paint elephants, so my Instagram can get some likes. This is not art, this is pure animal abuse,” one user wrote. Creative freedom is not a “free pass for irresponsible expression,” a user commented, adding that turning an elephant into a pink prop for aesthetics was inappropriate both ethically and culturally. Others questioned the need to involve an animal in the first place: “Strange how the elephant has to suffer so the photos can look beautiful. Should’ve just used AI.”

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Buruleva has fervently defended her work, stating that organically, locally made color, similar to the one that locals themselves use in festivals, was utilized in the shoot. She further added that appropriate permits were taken from the concerned authorities, and that she visited multiple elephant care facilities to find wiling collaborators before finalizing upon the animal and the location.

Reports suggested that the animal showcased in the photoshoot was named ‘Chanchal,’ owned by Shadik Khan in the hathi gaon area. The 65-year-old female mammal, according to the owner, was longer used for rides, hence was used for the photoshoot. He claimed that she was painted with natural ‘kaccha gulaal’ which was washed after 10 minutes later, and emphasized that no real harm was done to the animal.

Following the social media frenzy, the Rajasthan forest department has directed officials to launch an investigation into this matter, to determine whether any wildlife protection laws were breached. The department assured that if any instance of negligence or violence were found, required legal action would be undertaken.

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