In Assam, the four-day elephant festival has got off to a colourful start in the world-famous Kaziranga National Park from today. A large number of foreign and domestic tourists have congregated in and around the National Park to enjoy the festival. The State Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development Chandan Brahma inaugurated an exhibition of the items produced by self-help groups at Mihimukh in Kohora range of the National Park to mark the opening of the festival. The Chief Minister Mr. Tarun Gogoi will inaugurate a colourful procession of elephants and cultural programme of local ethnic communities in the park tomorrow. Football match and other sports activities by elephants besides marathon race among youth, seminars, drawing and painting competitions among children and awareness programmes are other highlights of the festival.