Picture of the Day: Elephants in Ancient Khmer Art The elephant is one of the animals most seen in sculpted scenes at pre-Angkorian and Angkorian temples. This ranges from being outlined on lintels to appearing as the three-headed elephant Airavata, the vehicle of the Hindu deity Indra. In the Angkor Archeological Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the earliest sculptures at the Bakong temple of the 9th century are colossal elephants standing on the tiered corners. And sculptures of elephants also stand at the corners of the East Mebon temple dating from the 10th century. High-relief sculptures of the three-headed elephant—known in Hinduism as Airavata and considered divine and the vehicle of the deity Indra—appear in Bayon style (late 12th/early 13th centuries) at Angkor Thom’s enormous entrances and numerous other locations such as the Terrace of the Elephants. Many depictions of Airavata can be seen on stone lintels at temples of those eras in Cambodia. The architectural motifs of many newly-built Buddhist monasteries also feature the three-headed elephant.