Airavata is a white elephant who carries the deity Indra. It is also called 'abhra-Matanga', meaning "elephant of the clouds"; 'Naga-malla', meaning "the fighting elephant"; and 'Arkasodara', meaning "brother of the sun". 'Abhramu' is the elephant wife of Airaavatha. Airaavatha has ten tusks and five trunks and is spotless white. Airaavatha is also the third son of Kashyap and Kadru. In the Mahabharata he is listed as a great serpent.
Hindu tradition
According to the Ramayana, the elephant's mother was Iravati. According to the Matangalila, Airaavatha was born when Brahma sang sacred hymns over the halves of the egg shell from which Garuda hatched, followed by seven more male and eight female elephants. Prithu made Airaavatha king of all elephants. One of his names means "the one who knits or binds the clouds" since myth has it that these elephants are capable of producing clouds. The connection of elephants with water and rain is emphasized in the mythology of Indra, who rides the elephant Airaavatha when he defeats Vritra. This mighty elephant reaches down his trunk into the watery underworld, sucks up its water, and then sprays it into the clouds, which Indra then causes to rain forth cool water, thereby linking the waters of the sky with those of the underworld. As per another legend, Airavatha is believed to have come out of churning the ocean of milk and it is believed that the elephant guards one of the points of compass. Airaavatha also stands at the entrance to Svarga, Indra's palace. In addition, the eightguardian deities who preside over the points of the compass each sit on an elephant. Each of these deities has an elephant that takes part in the defense and protection of its respective quarter. Chief among them is Airaavatha of Indra. There is a reference to Airaavatha in the Bhagavad Gita: At Darasuram near Tanjore is a temple where it is believed that Airaavatha worshipped the Lingam; the Lingam is named after him as Airavateswara. This temple, which abounds in rare sculpture and architectural workmanship, was built by Rajaraja Chola II.
Jain tradition
In Jain tradition, when a Tirthankara is born, Indra descends with his consort, Shachi, riding their mount, the great elephant Airaavatha, to celebrate the event.
Flags with Airaavatha
;Laos ;Siam
Erawan
Erawan is one of the Thai names of Airaavatha. It is depicted as a huge elephant with either three or sometimes thirty-three heads which are often shown with more than two tusks. Some statues show Indra, the king of Tavatimsa Heaven, riding on Erawan. The elephant is sometimes associated with the old LaoKingdom of Lan Xang and the defunct Kingdom of Laos, where it was more commonly known as the "three-headed elephant" and had been used on the royal flag.
