Elephant Valley
Menu- WELCOME TO THE ELEPHANT VALLEY!
- FROM ASIA OR AFRICA?
- FROM THE LIFE OF ELEPHANTS
- WATER OVER GOLD
- BIG EATERS
- ELEPHANTS ENDANGERED
- HARD LIFE WITH ELEPHANTS
- HARD LIFE WITH PEOPLE
- PARTNERSHIP OF PEOPLE AND ELEPHANTS
- ELEPHANTS IN CEREMONIES
- ELEPHANTS AT WORK
- ELEPHANTS FROM PINNAWALA
- GANESHA
- ELEPHANTS IN HINDUISM
- THE SOVEREIGN WHITE ELEPHANT
- THE DREAM OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT
THE SOVEREIGN WHITE ELEPHANT
Hindus regard the elephant as a symbol of wisdom, nobility and grace. So it is no surprise that local customs portray elephants as animals worthy of accompanying gods in the fulfilment of their noble duties. The most significant of these is Airavata.
According to Hindu tradition, Airavata is a large pure white elephant who carries the main god, Indra, on his back. Other elephants recognise him as their ruler.
Airavata is sometimes portrayed with wings or a large number of tusks, trunks or heads whose numbers differ from work to work. He is associated with clouds and rain – according to one story he is able, under the leadership of Indra, to suck water from the underworld into his trunk and spray it into the clouds where Indra transforms it into rain.
Airavata is also the ancestor of all earthly elephants and in some stories he is also one of the elephants who guard the eight corners of the world.