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Thailand: An old lady prays at Ku Chang, a chedi built over the grave of Blacky Purple, Queen Chamathewi's great war elephant, Lamphun, northern Thailand

When Queen Chamadevi's great war elephant, Blacky Purple died, it was buried with great honour beneath a chedi which still stands near Lamphun railway station. Here, too, can be seen monuments to Chamadevi's swiftest horse, her favourite cat, and a special cockerel ‘which crowed so loud and shrill that it could clearly be heard as far as Lopburi’.

Blacky Purple's monument, known locally as Ku Chang, is the most impressive of these monuments. The tall black chedi and neighbouring shrine are cluttered with wooden, plaster and stone elephants of every size and description. Fresh bananas and sugar cane are brought for the spirit of Blacky Purple every morning, and the frequent visitors offer lao khao (white liquor), pigs' heads, candles, incense and yellow chrysanthemum flowers.

Lamphun was the capital of the small but culturally rich Mon Kingdom of Haripunchai from about 750 AD to the time of its conquest by King Mangrai (the founder of Chiang Mai) in 1281.