Erawan Museum, Elephant museum in Samut Prakan, Thailand
The Erawan Museum is a museum in Bang Mueang Mai, Samut Prakan, Thailand, displaying a massive sculpture with three elephant heads resting atop a multi-story building. The site combines an enclosed structure with a garden where visitors can walk among ponds and planted areas.
Collector Khun Lek Viriyaphant founded this museum in the mid-1990s to present his collection of Asian art objects and religious items. The construction took several years and was accompanied by craftsmen who applied traditional techniques for metalwork and painting.
The giant copper animal represents Airavata, the mythical mount of the god Indra from Hindu tradition. Inside, an open space surrounded by painted columns and murals with religious motifs gives visitors a sense of classical Asian temple art.
The museum is open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM and access is through a central staircase or elevator leading to the different levels. The outdoor area can be explored in about half an hour, while the interior requires more time if you want to observe the details of the paintings and objects.
The surface of the three-headed animal consists of countless hand-shaped copper sheets that were attached individually and give the whole a scaly texture. Each of these sheets has its own shape and size, so the skin appears like an organic mosaic.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
