White Elephant Dancing

White Elephant Dancing

Elephant Dance Festival

En route from Yangon to Mandalay, there lies a thriving town called 'Kyauk-se' in Upper Myanmar situated some 26 miles to the south of performed at annual Light Festival in the month of Thadingyut ( October). The main feature of this festival is the elephant dance accompanied by colourful paheantry a life-size white paper elephant decked with regal trappings carries on its back a replica of the sacred Tooth of Buddha or some relics of an ' Arahat' while a black paper elephant follows as the finale of the procession. Each of these paper elephants is borne and animated by two men inside. The black paper elephant dances merrily to the procession music and thus it is the center of attraction during the carnival. Nowadays, the elephant dance no longer sticks to its native town along. It has become one of the highlights in many auspicious celebrations throughout the country.