Chinthe

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The chinthe appears on all banknote denominations of the kyat.
The chinthe appears on all banknote denominations of the kyat.

The chinthe (Burmese: ခ္ရင္သေ့; MLCTS: hkang se.; IPA: tʃʰìNθḛ) is a leogryph (lion-like creature) that is often seen at the entrances of pagodas and temples in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries. The chinthe is featured prominently on the kyat, the currency of Myanmar. Chinthes almost always in pairs, and serve to protect the pagoda. They typically appear as animals, but are sometimes found with human faces.[1]