Airavata | India

“A pristine, winged elephant that creates rain, steed to the God, Indra.”

Basic Facts:

• Other names for Airavata are: abrha-matanga (“elephant of the clouds”), naga-malla (“the fighting elephant”), or Arkasodra (“brother of the sun”). The name, Airavata, loosely translates to “belonging to Iravati.”
• This isn’t a normal elephant…it has ten tusks and five trunks. To top it off it’s white and spotless!
• Last week, we talked about the churning of the ocean of milk, which created several treasures (or mythological creatures) alongside uchchaihshravas – one being Airavata. This is according to one legend – not the final answer!
• The lovely Airavata is actually incorporated into a couple of flags like Laos and Thailand.
• The Airavata is one of eight deities to look over the eight points of a compass. That’s quite the job!