A Thai representation of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk by the gods and demons, in which they placed Mandara, a spur of Mt. Meru, upside-down in the ocean and used the snake Ananta as a stirring rope.

However, the heavy mountain started to sink in the soft mud of the sea floor. Thus, Vishnu incarnated as the tortoise Kurma (fig.) -his second avatar- to support the mountain with its carapace, thus preventing it from sinking any further (fig.). Whereas the demons are standing at the head of the snake, which is represented by a giant three-headed naga, the gods are holding the tail. It is said that they churned the Ocean of Milk for a thousand years, before they obtained the amrita. This statue, at Suwannaphum International Airport, is 21 metres long, 3 metres wide and 5.5 metres high, and was designed by Mr. Nikhom Phonyihyam (นิคม พลเยี่ยม) and created by the Fine Arts Department at the cost of 48 million baht.