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 Royal
Elephant Museum |
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This is the building first on the right
when you enter the Vimanmek compound.
containing a life-like model of the white elephant. The myth and legend of the white
elephant began in Southeast Asia - The Land of the White Elephant.
In the story
of the Buddha, the white elephant is connected to fertility and to knowledge. On the eve
of giving birth to the Lord Buddha, his mother dreams that a white elephant comes to present
her with a lotus, symbol of purity and knowledge.
The white elephant is something above an
ordinary elephant. It is sacred. In Siam, the kings revered the white elephant. Indeed, they
put i he white elephant on their new flag. When elephants were no longer so vital for warfare
elephant hunts had become less common, and lower of the rare white elephants were found, The
Siamese king passed a law demanding that any white elephant found in the kingdom had to be
presented to the king.
He sent out scouting parties and offered rewards. The discovery of a white elephant became
a special event, a time for national celebration. In this museum, the visitor can see pictures
of elephants which have been promoted to the title of "royal elephant" by past kings.
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Around Thailand 
