Once-a-year Elephant Ordination Ceremony returns to Surin May 10

This extraordinary cultural event invites tourists to witness a unique spectacle: a majestic procession of over 80 elephants escorting young men through a time-honoured ritual on their path to monkhood.

The ceremonial parade begins at Wat Chaeng Sawang in Ban Taklang Village, Krapho Subdistrict, Tha Tum District, and travels more than 4 kilometers to Wang Thalu or Don Buad, a sacred site at the confluence of the Chi River and the Mun River.

At this location, participants perform a traditional rite to invite the ancestral spirits (Pu Ta) to witness and bless the ordination.

Upon arrival at Don Buad, all elephants are led into the water to bathe and play, refreshing themselves before the next stages of the sacred ceremony.

Following this, the soon-to-be monks and their elephants participate in a ritual of respect and offering at the Pu Ta shrine. The ceremony includes a traditional form of fortune telling using boiled chicken jawbones, acts of spiritual apology, and a variety of sacred offerings—rituals passed down for generations in Krapho Subdistrict.

The event is truly enchanting, visually stunning, and deeply moving, leaving a lasting impression on both tourists and participants.

The Elephant-back Ordination Ceremony is an ancient tradition practised by the Khmer, Lao, and Kui communities of Surin, all of whom are devout Buddhists. It is a deeply meaningful rite of passage, handed down from generation to generation.

According to tradition, when a son reaches the age of 20, before marrying or starting a household, parents are expected to arrange for his ordination so he may study the Buddhist teachings and discipline.

Historically, this ceremony was a grand communal occasion, often with young men from neighbouring villages choosing to ordain on the same day.

It was believed that the greater the merit, the farther the soon-to-be monk should ride on elephant-back during a large, festive procession, with as many people as possible joining in celebration.

Traditionally, the Kui people of Ban Taklang and nearby villages joined forces to organise the elephant ordination procession.

Novices are adorned in a distinctive ceremonial outfit—featuring a tall headdress (chada), a white long-sleeved shirt, a silk sarong, and elegant drapings of seven-colored fabric.

The actual ordination takes place at Don Buad, a natural islet formed by the meeting of the Chi and Mun rivers. This sandbar, created by converging currents, has become a sacred site for this spiritual transformation.