Kinnara

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Statue of a kinnara in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew

For the social group or caste amongst the Sinhalese Buddhists of Sri Lanka, see Kinnaraya

In Buddhist mythology and Hindu mythology, a kinnara is a celestial musician, half-human and half-bird. One of the ancient Indian string instruments also is known as Kinnari Veena. They are featured in the Lotus Sutra.

Kinnaris, the female counterpart of Kinnaras, are depicted as half-bird, half-woman creatures in Southeast Asian mythology. One of the many creatures that inhabit the mythical Himavanta. Kinnaris have the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the wings, tail and feet of a swan. She is renowned for her dance, song and poetry, and is a traditional symbol of feminine beauty, grace and accomplishment.

1 Thailand
2 Myanmar
3 Cambodia
4 Indonesia
5 See also

[edit] Thailand

The Kinnari (Thai: กินรี) in Thai literature originates from India, but was modified to fit in with the Thai way of thinking. The Thai Kinnari is depicted as a young woman wearing an angel-like costume. The lower Part of the body is similar to a bird, which should enable her to fly between the human and the mystical worlds.

The most famous Kinnari in Thailand is the figure known as Manora(derived from Manohara) in a Thai tone entitled Panyasa Chadok. Part of this literature is a dance called Manorah Buchayan, which is one of the most esoteric among the high classical dances of Thailand

Thai Airways International publishes a monthly magazine with the title Kinnaree.

[edit] Myanmar

In Myanmar (Burmese: ကိန္နရီ; IPA: [kèinnəyì]), Burmese Buddhists believe that out of the 136 past animal lives of Buddha, four were Kinnara. The Kinnari is also one of the 108 symbols on the footprint of Buddha. In addition, Burmese Kinnari are depicted with covered breasts.

[edit] Cambodia

In Cambodia, the Kinnari and Kinnara are known as Kennorey and Kennar. The Kennorey are depicted in arts and literature more often than its male counterpart, the Kennar. The function of Kennorey are mostly the same as its thai counterpart, used in temple decorations and symbol for beauty and grace but although very similar the Kennorey have been used in arts since the Angkor period and have less of a symbolic meaning than the Apsara.

[edit] Indonesia

The image of couples Kinnara and Kinnari can be found in Borobudur, Mendut, Sewu, Sari, and Prambanan temple. Usually depicted as bird with human head or human with lower limb of a bird. The pair of Kinnara and Kinnari usually are depicted guarding Kalpataru, the tree of life, sometimes guarding a jar of treasure. A pair of Kinnara-Kinnari bas-relief of Sari temple is unique, depicting Kinnara as celestial human with bird's wings attached to their back, very similar to popular image of an angel.