Rites of passage

Symbols of great mental strength, elephants will once again be contributing to Buddhist rituals later this month as Surin Province in Northeast Thailand hosts its annual ordination parade on elephant back from May 18 to 20. 

The colourful ordination parade takes place in the Kui village of Baan Ta Klang, home to Thailand’s largest mahout community. 

The elephant has long played an important role in Buddhist beliefs and is often depicted in murals offering a beehive to the Lord Buddha and in statues guarding the stairway to chapels.

In Surin, the elephant also transports novice monks, and visitors to the province are treated to the sight of 30 pachyderms, each groomed and exquisitely painted by his mahout, carrying young males to the temple for their ordination.

The Kui, a Khmer-speaking ethnic group, are famous for capturing and taming wild elephants. In the old days, they would train the elephants for kings and warlords. Today, with the tourist regarded as “king”, they train the descendants of those original beasts for the tourist trade and while the ordination on Elephant-back ritual remains part of their custom, it has also become a tourist attraction.

For years, elephants worked in tourist destinations and hotels, carrying the tourists over the hills and streams. That practice, derided as cruel, has decreased considerably over the years but the Surin ritual allows visitors to see these magnificent beasts up close and personal during the three eventful days of the ordination parade. 

The work starts several days before the ordination, with the pachyderms standing patiently as they are washed, painted and groomed by their loving mahouts. Fine embroidered velvet rugs are placed on their heads and backs while their skin becomes resplendent with colourful motifs.

The young Kui too dress up for the occasion, putting on traditional crimson sarongs, white shirts and brightly coloured cloaks. With colourful head crowns and head sets and parasols, the young men look less like monks and more like young princes on elephant back. 

On ordination day itself, the 30 elephants parade majestically from Ta Klang village to the temple, negotiating the water of the Chi River to delighted squeals from the visitors. 

In ancient times, long before the chapel halls existed, the ordination took place on the sandbars and small islands in the river, in keeping with the story of Prince Siddhartha who left behind his privileged life at the river.

 

IF YOU GO

 How to get there: 

 Surin is 430 kilometres east of Bangkok and the journey takes between five and six hours.

 Public buses depart daily from Bangkok’s Northern Terminal (Mor Chit) for Surin. 

 AirAsia operates direct flights between Bangkok and Buriram. The Elephant Village is about an hour’s drive from the airport.

Where to stay:

 Buriram, to Surin’s West, offers better beds when it comes to accommodation, with choices varying from the simple yet stylish Klim Hotel to the popular Amari Buriram.

How to get around:

 A van with driver is the best option for first-timers. Vans can accommodate 10 passengers and the charge is around Bt1,800-2,000 per day excluding fuel. 

 Visitors with a strong sense of adventure – and a great sense of direction – might prefer to hire a vehicle and drive themselves. However, do make arrangements for self-drive in advance, as rental cars are limited.