Erawan Elephant is the round-relief wood carving, with 33 elephant heads: There are 3 main elephant heads on the Elephant body and other 30 elephant heads above. The Elephant body is in standing posture on the wood log with 2 divine Elephants at the adjacent: Matangkakrithep Elephant with the god images and 3-headed Kirimekhala Tridayuk Elephant. This workpiece is made from a single wood log of 100-year manila tamarind wood.

The workpiece is originated from the image in “Kochalak Book” where Kru Petch replicates its image into the round-relief Elephant statue. Referring such image, all 33 elephant heads are turning at the same direction. Kru Petch imaginatively carved the elephant heads to be 360 degree visible. 3 main elephant heads replicate his existing pattern and add 30 supplementary elephant heads on top while harmoniously re-arranging the overall position. It can be said that this 33-headed round-relief and three-dimensional Erawan sculpture, is the only one workpiece in the world. The other two Elephants on both side of the wood trunk are also carved from the large branch of the same manila tamarind log. Therefore, it is deemed one of Kru Petch’s masterpieces of elephant wood carving.

Elephant is a large terrestrial animal, closely related to Thai people for ages, both socially, commercially and traditionally. White elephant especially is considered the extremely major creature to the monarch and the country as it is used in battling and in various royal ceremonies.

For those elephants which hold the perfect appearance per described in Kochalak Book is deliberately selected to be the majestic elephant for the king of Thailand. Accordingly, there are several elephant-introduction books or “Kochalak Books”. In each book, Suphalak elephant (elephant with good appearance) and Turalak elephant (elephant with bad appearance) and the origin of elephant are likewise described.

According to the Brahman scripture, it is believed that elephants are originated from 4 gods: In the second Age of Brahman scripture, when Narayana appeated to lie down on Kasien Samut, by sitting on the back of Phraya Anantanakarat, a lotus flower, with 8 petals and 173 pollens, appeared at his navel. Narayana presented the lotus to Shiva, while Shiva had divided the lotus flower into 4 parts by keeping 8 pollens for himself, and gave away 8 petals and 24 pollens to Brahma, 4 pollens to Narayana and Shiva, and 133 pollens to Phra Agni. All 4 gods created the lotus out of each part they were given to be Kotchapong or 4 families of elephant in the world. Each elephant family has different appearance and characteristics while their gifted power differs to their creators:

1. Isawaraphong family’s elephants are the royal elephants
2. Phromphong family’s elephants are the Brahmin elephants
3. Witsanuphong family’s elephants are the merchant elephants
4. Akaneepong family’s elephants are the slave elephants

According to Kochalak book, these 4 families and other 3 elephants from heaven are described:

• Matangkakrithep Elephant - 26 angels are the guardian angels existing on each part of the Elephant’s body.
• Erawan or Irawan Elephant- Indra’s elephant with 33 heads, each head with 7 tusks.
• Kirimekhala or Tridayuk Elephant – The vehicle Elephant of Phra Indra with 3 heads, Its appearance is good, while in Buddhism history, it is the vehicle Elephant of Phaya Wasawatdi Mara.

The origin Erawan Elephant is legendarily mentioned that during the Tridayuk Era, Shiva assigned Phra Plerng to magically blast the flame out of his ears, appearing 2 sons: “Ganesh” from the right ear, with an elephant head while “Phra Konjananesuan” from the left ear, with 3 elephant heads and 6 hands.  Phra Konjananesuan is the creator of White Elephant, Ek, Tho, Tri , including Erawan Elephant – the White Elephant with 33 elephant heads and Kirimekhala Tridayuk Elephant - the White Elephant with 3 elephant heads. Both Elephants are “Thephayanarit” or Indra’s divine vehicle.

Erawan or Irawan Elephant is legendarily described as the massive divine Elephant with 150 yotch height (2.4 million meters). There are 33 heads and 33 humps where thorned by Phra Indra and gods. There are 7 tusks on each head. Each trunk is 8 million meter long. There are 7 lotus flower ponds on each trunk. There are 7 lotus flowers on each pond. There are 7 petals and 7 pollens on each lotus flower. There are 7 castles on each pollen. There are 7 floors on each castle. There are 7 chambers on each floor. There are 7 thrones on each chamber. There are 7 goddesses on each throne. There are 7 servants for each goddess. There are 7 female slaves for each servant. In total, there are 190,248,432 Apsara goddesses, and 13,331,669,031 servants. There are 33 heads and 33 humps where thorned by Phra Indra and gods.