Surin Elephant Round-up
surin elephant roundup cultural festival held every year surin province isan thailand usually event organized third week november weekend festival origin royal hunt conducted surin province medieval time indigenous resident surin kuy traditional practitioner corralling elephant training working animal ayutthaya kingdom came power hunt converted public extravaganza wild elephant replaced tame one festival contemporary form first organized civil war cambodia steady decline economic value elephant forced elephant handler mahout seek occupation entertainment tourism industry modern twoday event includes variety show displaying physical prowess skill animal soccer game tug war royal thai army elephant painting picture playing polo whirling hula hoop trunk also incorporated show numerous float put display venue event si narong stadium dubbed world largest domestic elephant village tourism authority thailand since ancient time wild elephant believed number thousand roamed freely forest around thailand surin elephant rounded corralled captured hunt highly ritualistic involved many mythological aspect hunt also served economic purpose captured elephant tamed used pack animal sometimes war animal ritual hunt noted historian ancient strabo arrian megasthenes hunter mainly came tribe kuy people performed several ritual performing actual hunt included divination bone wearing special clothes believed possess protective power praying lasso strength restrain elephant praying ancestor also prayed terrestrial woodland spirit grant success hunt ayutthaya king power elephant hunt converted public spectacle lost much ritualistic element roundup became royally sponsored event local dignitary overseas guest invited savour spectacle among notable foreign dignitary attended event royal invitation françoistimoléon de choisy wrote diary king arranged special roundup foreign guest even though real event date arrived postwar era neared end elephant roundup became progressively staged less real hunt became common use tame even trained elephant event roundup enacted primarily entertainment royal guest example king chulalongkorn also called rama v roundup specially staged russian prince nicholas ii latter world tour crown prince eliza ruhamah scidmore visited thailand province bestowed royal invitation see roundup envoy ng wrote experience titling story greatest hunt world printed story related monarch siam entourage came stay summer palace roundup sponsored dignitary came cruiser rail local mostly arrived boat said hunter worked many hour used various tactic herd elephant numbering hundred towards kraal krall enclosure broadness whose wall two meter inner enclosure made thick teak log measured three half meter height iron band buttressed wooden wall according account elephant rounded year unintentionally hurt stomped trumpeted roundup received immediate care time roundup grew progressively staged elephant utilized roundup often tame play role wild animal move actual artifice preceded influx tourism therefore tourist never witnessed real hunt roundup transitioned far staged event lady audience asked choose elephant ought captured next roundup abandoned although special last roundup officially sponsored monarchy staged honour king frederik ix denmark wife ingrid visited thailand early less year event lost royal patronage reemerged prominent social festival less ritual flair according source first roundup organized celebrated according others first event celebrated either way first modern event held modest scale tha tum subdistrict surin province festival moved surin proper nowadays elephant trainer travel km surin participate festival ritualistic element trait festival disappeared festival become pure tourist festival kuy hunter singled perform roundup perform morning ritual called pak kum luang almost entire week festival ritual includes praying pakam shrine sacred lasso elder done ancient time offering pig head chicken wine jos stick herb required sign obtained elder blow hunter horn signal km long trek festival commence journey usually undertaken using truck elephant mahout arrive least five day spare spend time roaming street offering ride practicing performance wife mahout travel alongside friday morning marching procession approximately elephant start moving surin city railway station toward elephant roundabout prasat road southernmost neighborhood city elephant carry dignitary dismount steed arrival elephant carry mahout authentic replica battle outfit thai–khmer–laos battle intermingled elephant procession student local school teacher traditional dress dancing playing music elephant arrived banquet begin table banquet measure meter length customarily decorated traditional silk cloth food presented elephant leftover taken home local people november buffet set guinness world record largest elephant buffet asian elephant came together devour tonne kg lb fruit vegetable saturday entire company elephant mahout congregate elephant stadium daybreak ceremony stadium begin speech chairperson ceremony baby elephant paraded stadium processional march bull elephant take place next kuy hunter pray lasso showcase skill capturing elephant display elephant captured hunter working alone sometimes elephant rider used capture elephant tame elephant could utilized corral wild one bred kuy people since ancient time called khonkies koomkies elephant capture technique display display acrobatics match soccer polo display task performed tamed elephant logging another event display raw strength surins elephant elephant v army tug war contest contest start army personnel biggest bull elephant bull beat soldier added soldier matched single bull even bull usually win finale show reenactment historical battle siamese burmese force force dressed traditional colour red siam blue burma take position according traditional battle tactic front row foot soldier central portion elephant protecting king elephant middle rear guard battle end siamese victory along elephant show stadium host minihalf marathon called mueang chang red cross society also hold cultural performance elephant show elephant show repeated sunday morning firsthand account visiting surin elephant festival elephant roundup surin elephant roundup festival elephant holiday thailand includes surin elephant festival