At Ban Ta Klang, Kapho subdistrict, Tha Turn district, in the northeastern province of Surin, there is a tribal group of Kui origin, which has existed since the days of the ancient Khmer kingdom. Villagers in this group have lived in harmony with elephants, and the wisdom of elephant raising has been passed on among them for a long period of time. Today, this community has become known as the Elephant Village, which still preserves the culture of elephant raising in the traditional style. This culture remains in the soul of the younger generation of Ban Ta Klang.
The mahout, known among the local villagers as ku yo chiang, is responsible for looking after big and small elephants, which are treated like members of the family. When an elephant becomes two years old, it will be trained to act in accordance with orders from the mahout. For example, it will walk where directed, or help the mahout climb onto its back. The training will enable them to live in harmony with humans. When elephants are trained, they will travel separately from their mahouts to various places separately and will return to the village again for important ceremonies.
On the full-moon day of the sixth lunar month, which marks Visakha Puja Day, usually in May, both male and female elephants from this village take part in a procession of tonsured, white-robed candidates for monkhood (known as the nak). A hundred elephants with painted faces lead the procession to Wang Thalu for the worship of sacred objects. The sound of music in the procession seems to bring elephants and Kui villagers closer together through their bonds of love.During the period from November to December, mahouts usually return to the village for rice harvesting. They will come with their elephants to join the Elephant Round-Up, an annual cultural event of Surin province. This period is the best time to visit the Elephant Village to experience the beautiful lifestyle of villagers'Of the Ban Ta Kiang, a land of elephants in Surin province.
The mahout, known among the local villagers as ku yo chiang, is responsible for looking after big and small elephants, which are treated like members of the family. When an elephant becomes two years old, it will be trained to act in accordance with orders from the mahout. For example, it will walk where directed, or help the mahout climb onto its back. The training will enable them to live in harmony with humans. When elephants are trained, they will travel separately from their mahouts to various places separately and will return to the village again for important ceremonies.
On the full-moon day of the sixth lunar month, which marks Visakha Puja Day, usually in May, both male and female elephants from this village take part in a procession of tonsured, white-robed candidates for monkhood (known as the nak). A hundred elephants with painted faces lead the procession to Wang Thalu for the worship of sacred objects. The sound of music in the procession seems to bring elephants and Kui villagers closer together through their bonds of love.During the period from November to December, mahouts usually return to the village for rice harvesting. They will come with their elephants to join the Elephant Round-Up, an annual cultural event of Surin province. This period is the best time to visit the Elephant Village to experience the beautiful lifestyle of villagers'Of the Ban Ta Kiang, a land of elephants in Surin province.