KYAUKSE, Mandalay Division — As Burma celebrates the end of Buddhist Lent across the country this week in a variety of ways, a town located in the heart of Mandalay Division is marking the occasion with an elephant dance-off.
The centuries-old Elephant Dance Festival can only be seen in Kyaukse, where the waxing moon of Thadingyut and its attendant prancing pachyderms draw thousands of spectators from across the country.
Each year, about 100 of the life-sized elephants—made with a bamboo frame, papier-mâché, satin and decorative colorful sequins—take part in the spectacle. This year about 26 elephant dance teams will also participate in three competitions.
The legend on which the tradition is based dates back to the reign of Burmese King Anawratha, who ruled the country in the 11th century. The king is said to have wanted to enshrine a relic tooth of the Buddha, and decided to let his royal elephants choose an auspicious place for it.
Near the Thar Lyaung and Kha Yway mountains, at the base of which Kyaukse is located, the royal elephants stopped and a pagoda was built there to enshrine the relic. The festival to honor the king’s royal elephants has been held at the location every year since.
The Elephant Dance Festival takes place one day before the full moon day of Thadingyut. On the full moon day, residents of Kyaukse will gather and go up to the pagoda, which is built on the mountainside, to offer elephant-shaped rice cakes.
But ahead of that, the elephant dancing was in full swing on Tuesday, the eve of Thadingyut.
During the opening ceremony, elephant dancers showed off their skills by dancing wildly, gracefully and with acrobatic flair. Two men inside each of the elephant figures dance to the beat of drummers and traditional Burmese instruments, while other team members sing.
The competition is divided into three categories: traditional costume style, elaborate decoration and youths’ participation, all of which are judged based on the costumes’ aesthetic quality and the dancers’ ability.
The winning teams this year will take home cash prizes of between 1.6 million kyats (US$1,600) to 2 million kyats.
