October 7, 2025
YANGON – It is reported that the Thadingyut Elephant Dance Competition ceremony at Shwetha Lyaungtaung Buddha Image Gallery in Kyaukse Township was held on the 14th day of the Thadingyut lunar month in 1387 ( October 5, 2025 )
The elephant donation festival will continue until the 15th day of the new moon of Thadingyut ( the full moon day of Thadingyut ).
In the elephant dance competition, 3 Baw Kyar elephants, 5 traditional senior elephants, 4 traditional junior elephants, 2 natural elephants, a total of 14 elephants competed. In the elephant dance competition, the judges were: 1. Dwey ( Baw Kyar ) 2. Zar Ni Bwa ( traditional senior ) 3. Pan ( natural elephant ) 4. Min Baek ( traditional senior ) 5. Bo Kay ( traditional junior ), 1. Myin Sai Zar Ni ( traditional senior ) 2. Shwe Pyi Thar ( traditional senior ) 3. Aung Myint Thu ( Baw Kyar ) 4. Aung Phyo Khant ( traditional junior ) 3. 1 Pitak Myaing ( traditional senior class ) 4. Garunashin ( natural elephant ) 5. Shwe Si Thit ( traditional junior class ). In that order, all 3 judges competed.
They also performed with entertainment elephants, honor elephants, and musical groups, along with singers.
The Elephant Offering Festival is held on the full moon day of Thadingyut, when people make golden and silver elephants at the foot of the mountain, climb the mountain, and offer alms to the monks led by the Buddha at the top of the mountain, making merit and distributing it equally.
There are 12 rules that the competing elephant teams must follow. Among the rules, the elephants that win first and second place will have to continue competing in the next year’s elephant competition. Competing elephants must not engage in any behavior that would directly or indirectly degrade the reputation of the city. If they do, they will not be allowed to compete in next year’s elephant competition. Elephants that circle the city market three times without a sign, elephants that use cassette tapes, and elephants that ride on cars will not be awarded prizes, according to the Elephant Competition Organizing and Awarding Subcommittee.
The Kyaukse Elephant Festival was held in 379 AD by King Anawrahta, the King of Bagan, who had ascended the throne in 395 AD. King Anawrahta, who had received the left tusk of the Buddha from the King of Ceylon, Kyaukse, on the advice of the venerable Arhat, placed it on a white elephant and sent it to the top of the mountain in the eastern part of the Myin Sai area, where the Kyaukse Dam was located. After lying down for a while on the top of the mountain, he immediately descended and climbed to the top of the mountain in the Thanywa area and paused for a while.
From there, he ascended to Mount Sarwe and worshipped. In the year 395, he built a pagoda at the same time on the top of Thalyaung and Khrue. The pagoda on the top of Thalyaung was named Shwe Thalyaung Pagoda.
King Anawrahta ordered the monks to hold an alms-giving ceremony at Shwetha Lyaung Pagoda every full moon day of Thadingyut and a festival in the month of Tabaung. He also ordered the monks to donate the ivory of the white elephant ( Sinma Yintha ) to the monks, just like me, and to give as many gifts as possible. The elephant-giving ceremony was held every year on the full moon day of Thadingyut, along with the alms-giving ceremony. Since the reign of King Anawrahta, it has been held every year for over 900 years without any change in tradition