Elephant Training

Pud Pai Ceremony

    Kun Kroo or Kun Tung consists of 8 pairs of joss sticks, 8 pairs of candles, a piece of red and white flowers, string, milled rice, a piece of red and white cloths, 1 bottle of whisky, 1 glass, 1 pair of big wax candles, 1 pair of small wax candles, Nam Som Poi, Bai Nard (leaf), jujube leaf and coins ( 5 baht and 25 stang )

   Procedures of the ceremony are followed; the first step is like Paa Jarn Ceremony then Ajarn spells into Nam Son Poi for 7 times finally elephant will be sprinkled by Nam Som Poi.

Prediction Ceremony

   A master of ceremony or Ajarn pats on the back of elephant from elephant's head through elephant's tail for 3 times by using a black chicken. Then master of ceremony throws a black chicken to the elephant's bottom and observes what the black chicken's habit is. The elephant's habit depends on black chicken's appearance. For example, baby elephant will be scared if a black chicken runs away. The baby elephant will shake its mahout if the black chicken shakes its feather. The baby elephant's habit will be the same as the black chicken in the future.

Pid Prai Ceremony

     Pud Prai Ceremony is almost like Pud Kae Ceremony. It just changes "Pai" to "Prai". This ceremony is used to drive the ghost from the elephant's dead body.

Paa Jarn Ceremony

    "Paa Jarn" is the Northern Thai language. It means, "to separate from each other" Paa Jarn Ceremony can be used both in humans or animals with the same form. The different thing is the spell used. Spell for humans is different from spell for animals.

     Not only Paa Jarn Ceremony is for separating mother elephant from baby elephant, it is also for separating husband from wife. Also to have people hate each other. Usually master of ceremony is moral.

    Pang Lah Elephant Nursery Center uses this ceremony to separate mother elephants from baby elephants. If we do not do this ceremony, mahout cannot train the baby elephants. It is because mahouts have to knock by using a hook at baby elephant's head to control baby elephants.

     In order to have baby elephant suffer and scream. Mother elephant thinks that mahouts hurt elephant babies so elephant mother will protect elephant babies and hurt mahouts instinctively.

Paa Jarn Ceremony also affects mahout's believe. It says that there are not any ghosts or evils inhibiting in the elephants any more. Therefore mahouts are not afraid of ghosts and evils. Things used in ceremony also affect for training elephants easily. There are ropes used for binding elephants and bananas used as elephant's food. The weapons for controlling elephants are hooks, knives and lances. These weapons are powerful for training elephants. The elephant's habit depends on the black chicken's habit used for prediction as well. This will show the elephant's habit how elephants will be nice or naughty in the future.

   Baby elephant
Baby elephant must be healthy without all of diseases and 3 - 4 years of age.

    Time and date
Every day is available for this ceremony except Wednesday and Buddhist holy day. Wednesday is considered as depreciated day. Buddhist holy day is a day for making merit. Do not make a sin in Buddhist holy day. In addition, the Buddhist Lent is not available to do this ceremony. October - February is an available time and the most available time is approximately October - December. If we have a certain day, we will start the ceremony in the morning approximately 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. That is why the morning time is considered as thriven time like rising sun. We do not do this ceremony in the afternoon because of setting sun. It seems not to develop.

  An enclosure
An enclosure is an enclosure for training elephants firstly. An enclosure is 1.50 metres of width and 4 metres of length with 3 Mai Krow for each side. The 3 Mai Krow can be moved and set easily. The head of an enclosure is bigger than other side. In order to have elephant move its head slightly. The elephant's head and trunk will not be much painful by bumping.

   Equipment
Ropes, used for binding elephants, are approximately 1 - 1.5 inches of diameter and 30 metres of length. There are ropes for putting elephant into the enclosure with 1 inch of diameter and 20 metres of length, ropes for binding back elephant's legs, there are chains used for binding elephant's head with olives are 2 - 3 units of size and 25 meters of length. There are 2 Ja Kae Wai for binding back legs and front legs. There are 5 Pa Auk, 1 Pa Auk is used for binding elephant's head, 2 Pa Auk are used for binding elephant's breast and 2 Pa Auk are used for binding elephant's bottom. There are 4 sharp sticks for piercing elephant's legs. All of equipment must be in good condition.

   Kun Tung or Kun Kroo Preparing
Different Ajarns usually use different things in Kun Tung or Kun Kroo.

   Kun Nam Som Poi Preparing Kun Nam Som Poi consists of Kun or Sa Luhng for containing water, Som Poi and Nad Nahm. Nam Som Poi, which was used in the ceremony also, can be used as holy water.

    Sa Tooung Preparing
Sa Tooung is made of a square of the outer layer which can be pealed from the soft herbaceous stem of a banana plant with 1 foot of length and width. Sa Tooung contains propitiatory sacrifice for changing baby elephant from forest's ghost. Propitiatory sacrifice or Kreung Gow consists of 4 pieces of milled rice, salt, fresh chili, betel, a piece of lemon, a piece of peeled sugar cane, pumpkin leaf, ripe banana and sticky rice molded in a human and elephant form. There is also a black chicken for predicting elephant's habit in the future.

   Place Preparing
Due to elephant training, there are master of ceremony and mahout who must stay with elephant side by side for 20 days. It includes preparing wood for setting fire, elephant's food and treatment.

     A new mahout
A new mahout must be small, patient, healthy, diligent, disciplined, honest and also loves elephant. A new mahout must take care of his elephant side by side until retired. Women are prohibited to join or even pass the ceremony.