The Land of the White Elephant:

The myth and legend of the white elephant began in Southeast Asia - The Land of the White Elephant..
In the story of the Buddha, the white elephant is connected to fetility and toknowledge. On the eve of giving birth to the Lord Buddha, his mother dreams that a white elephant comes to present her with a lotus, symbol of purity and knowledge.
At the heart of the first great Southeast Asian Empire, at the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the might of the war elephants is depicted on murals of the region's armies.
Over the next few hundred years, two states dominated the region - theforerunners of modern Burma and Thailand (Siam). In both, the elephant was a very important animal. It was key to military success - both in mass battles, and in the elephant duels.
It was also key to royal pageantry - kings chose the biggest, most magnificentelephants for royal ceremonies and processions. Kings and courtiers spent a lot of time and energy hunting elephants from the forests. And the most powerful kings kept thousands in their stables.