Elephant Dance Festival of Kyaukse

There is a famous elephant festival held annually around the full moon of October in the city of Kyaukse, which is 42 kilometers south of Mandalay and about an hour away by car.

The festival is said to have been established under the direction of King Anawrahta to commemorate the construction of the Shwe Tha Lyaung Pagoda, which was built in the 11th century.

The festival originated from utilizing the strength of the elephant to transport offerings for the Buddha statues at that time. Currently, it involves humans entering a life-sized elephant figure made of paper or cloth and performing an elephant dance show.

At the festival, you can observe a scene where various artificially-made elephants , adorned with diverse decorations , compete while dancing to the rhythm of traditional music .

The local people come up with various dancers and perform interesting dances. Why not participate in this magnificent festival that is held only once a year and create some travel memories?