EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Garuda, Enemy of Snakes

Garuda in Diorama, Tashilhunpo Monastery
Shigatse, Tibet

Explanation:  What is this strange flying creature, with a snake in its hands and in its beak?

Welcome to the Hindu and Buddhist mythology of Garuda.  

As noted by Mark Cartwright in his Ancient History Encyclopedia, Garuda is a man-bird mixture and, as the vehicle of Vishnu, represents birth and heaven and is the enemy of snakes.  With massive wings, Garuda protects temples, represents wisdom, and is a symbol against snake venom.  

I photographed the main image above, and also this next image, below, as parts of larger frescos in Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, Tibet:

 
See if you can spot the above Garuda it in this wider shot of the same fresco:

The above fresco was in the entrance gate to the Monastery and tells a fuller story that I will delve into at a later date.  (And, yes, Garuda is swooping down from the upper right, with again a snake in its hands and beak.)

Meanwhile, over in Bhutan, Garuda also makes various appearances, such as this one at Punakha Dzong Fortress, there covered in gold leaf:

  
There is also a difference between the Hindu Garuda and the Buddhist Garuda, the latter of which is represented in my photos.  
  

So what exactly is Garuda?  The image has been referred to as King of the Birds and is an admixture of human and avian ... and usually specifically denoted as a mix of man and eagle.  Garuda appears in many cultures throughout central to southern and southeastern Asia.  But to my wildlife biologist slant, Garuda appears to me as more owl than eagle. 

And finally, I will end here with a Garuda I met at the astounding and huge statue of Buddha, known as Buddha Dordenma, in the Himalayan hills outside the city of Thimpu, in Bhutan:

... and to appreciate how spectacular this visage was, please take a look here at my additional photos of Buddha Dordenma in all his glory.  

Long live Garuda!