King Suddodana ruled the kingdom of Kapilavastu, located in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. One night his pregnant wife, Queen Mahamaya, dreamt of a white elephant with six tusks entering her body. When she woke up, she told the king about her dream. The king consulted the wise men, and they predicted that the child would either be a great king or would renounce the world to become a holy man.