BANGKOK – Around 150 elephants and 1,000 people on Friday joined an event in the historical Thai city of Ayutthaya marking the upcoming National Elephant Day, in honor of the giant animals.
The festivities took place at an elephant camp near the Ayutthaya Historical Park, where the ruins of centuries-old Thai temples are preserved.
Dozens of elephants, adorned with red and gold coverings on their heads, were treated to a huge buffet of fresh fruit and vegetables as their mahouts sat on their backs.
Each elephant ate about 300 kilograms of fresh food, a witness estimated.
Following the feast, Buddhist monks held a ceremony mourning dead elephants, in which they prayed to large elephant skulls.
Friday was a preview for National Elephant Day, which officially happens on March 13 when cities across Thailand will celebrate elephants and their place in Thai culture.
http://www.laht.com/article.