Airavata

In Hindu mythology, the divine elephant who is the vehicle of Indra, king
of the gods. The only significant role
Airavata plays in any myth is as the ultimate cause for why the gods have to
churn the Ocean of Milk. One day the
powerful and irascible sage Durvasas
gives a garland to Indra. Indra places the
garland on Airavata, who throws it on
the ground. The reasons for this differ—
in one account Airavata is plagued by
the bees gathering on it, and in another
he is intoxicated by the scent of the flowers. Durvasas understands this as an
insult and, in his anger, curses the gods
to be subject to old age and death. The
only way the gods can escape the effects
of the curse is to obtain the nectar of
immortality, which is done by churning
the Ocean of Milk. See also Tortoise avatar.