Makara
The makara is an aquatic chimera originating in Hindu mythology, but also found in Buddhism. It's legend is known in many countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and all over South East Asia. The name makara means water monster in Sanskrit. The legend of the makara is very old, as images of it date back to the Vedic era (1500 BCE). The Makara's appearance is extremely varied. At it's most basic the makara is a chimera of mammal in the front and a water living creature in the back. The most common combinations are an elephant or stag head with a crocodile, fish or whale body. The makara may also have a peacock's tail on occasion. Older depictions of the makara had even more animals mixed in, in addition to the ones listed above it could also have boar's tusks, lion's paws and mouse's ears. The makara symbolized the might and power of water, such as floods, rapids and tides. It also represented the dangerous animals that lived in water, especially cr