Elephants have been a common sight in Rajasthan for hundreds years - they carried the Maharajahs to their palaces and forts, were used in warfare and also as working animals. Even today more than a hundred elephants still work on a daily basis in Jaipur, ferrying tourists up the steep climb to the Amber Fort. But with ever-increasing temperatures in the region, there has been some vocal criticism concerning the welfare of these gentle giants.

Elephants are not physiologically designed for the desert conditions of Rajasthan, and therefore the appropriate care is paramount. After a long working day in the blazing sun  some have to walk long miles to their stables, which can be as far away as the other side of Jaipur in the direction of Tonk. At elephant speed, that can be a two hour journey. Shelter, food and the appropriate nutrition have also been raised as key concerns, with some owners showing little or no understanding of the needs of these complex animals existing outside their natural habitat.

The government of Rajasthan has responded with a new initiative, which they hope will be fully operational by October 2010. The new Hathi Gaon, or Elephant Village, just a few kilometres from the Amber Fort is designed to offer stabling for over 100 elephants, as well as providing accommodation and employment for the owners, mahouts and their families. Set on thirty hectares of land, the village consists of stable blocks with attached housing, as well as a man-made lake where the elephants can swim, play – and of course get thoroughly washed down after a day in the heat and dust. The idea behind the project is that welfare groups as well as vets and government agencies will be able to better serve the Elephant community if they're all in one place. Education for their owners is high on the list of priorities.

Not currently open to visitors, we got special permission to to visit the village and see for ourselves how the elephants are enjoying some of the new facilities. Most elephants have yet to relocate to the village, but a lucky few who already live nearby are among the first to make use of the lake, a very special sight as well as being particularly amusing. One by one they arrived at the pond that is equipped with enormous concrete steps, and slowly made their way into the water. Once in, they actually become rather playful! Never seen an elephant being playful? Well, think the animated version of Jungle Book but add thousands of litres of water. They slowly lay down, disappeared completely under the surface, blew bubbles, and then only the tip of their trunk would appear again like a periscope, as if waving or just letting you know they were still there...somewhere. They rolled around, made waves, sprayed themselves, their colleagues and their keepers with water, a constant low humming sound showing their contentment.

It was a very happy environment and a far cry from the conditions that many other elephants have to endure. Elephants playing, being washed and scrubbed for hours, the keepers laughing and joking and making the elephants play even more. These mahouts proudly pointed out their respective charges, who they obviously care a great deal for and explained about their lives and homes. We were invited to join them in the water, but after careful consideration decided that getting in to the car with mud-soaked clothes would probably not have been the wisest move. But it was an open invitation and so we'll definitely go back, this time with spare clothes and a giant bar of soap!

The government hopes that other elephants and their human families will soon be installed in the village, with the intention of having everything in place by October – when the main tourist season in Rajasthan begins. Controversially, the village will be accessible to tourists although potentially in limited numbers. The risk is of course that the elephants will be expected to be on show all the time, even after a hard day at the Amber Fort. Some campaigners are pushing for a complete ban on elephant rides at the Fort, but it's unlikely that that will ever happen. Although not native to the region, elephants are inextricably linked with Rajasthani as well as India heritage, culture and ergo tourism.

Our view? We don't encourage our clients to take the elephant rides at Amber. Although the elephants are supposed to only do one trip per day, it's quite obvious that these rules are flouted, and even during the cooler winter months elephants are working during the hottest hours of the day. The Elephant Village will go a long way to improving conditions for these magnificent animals, and from what we saw, it will enhance the quality of their lives, which is most important. We can only hope that the village itself does not turn in to a tourist attraction in its own right – but that a select few will get to experience having fun with some very happy elephants.