Chinthe
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, in front of Yangon City Hall Chinthë ( ( ); ( ); ( )) is the Burmese word for 'lion'. The leograph of Chinthe is a highly stylized lion commonly depicted in Burmese iconography and architecture, especially as a pair of guardians flanking the entrances of Buddhist pagodas and kyaung (or Buddhist monasteries).
, in front of Yangon City Hall]] ]] Chinthë ( ( ); ( ); ( )) is the Burmese word for 'lion'. The leograph of Chinthe is a highly stylized lion commonly depicted in Burmese iconography and architecture, especially as a pair of guardians flanking the entrances of Buddhist pagodas and kyaung (or Buddhist monasteries).
Natural lion
Contrary to popular belief, the Chinthe is not a mythical creature but instead an entirely natural lion, although often associated with myths and legends. The Burmese leograph is related to other stylized lions in the Asian region, including the sing (สิงห์) of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and the simha (සිංහ) of Sri Lanka, where it is featured prominently on the Sri Lankan rupee. It is also related to East Asian leographs, such as the guardian lions of China, komainu of Japan, shisa of Okinawa and Snow Lion of Tibet.
Origins
The story of why the lions guard the entrances of pagodas and temples is given in the Mahavamsa: The princess Suppadevi of Vanga Kingdom (present day Bengal) had a son named Sinhabahu through her marriage to a lion, but later abandoned the lion who then became enraged and set out on a road of terror throughout the lands. The son then went out to slay this terrorizing lion. The son came back home to his mother stating he slew the lion, and then found out that he killed his own father. The son later constructed a statue of the lion as a guardian of a temple to atone for his sin.
Gallery
File:Bagan-Ananda-220-Chinthes-gje.jpg|Leographic statues line the rooftop at Bagan's Ananda Temple File:Bagan 2019 10.jpg|Close-up of the stylized lion head, Ananda Temple File:Bagan Bronze Bell (7566104478).jpg|Temple bell in Bagan, Myanmar File:Bagan-Dhammayazika-20-Loewe-Ministupa-gje.jpg|Lion statue on Dhammayazika Pagoda, Bagan, Myanmar File:Chinthes guarding Mandalay Hill.JPG|A pair of whitewashed lions guard the entrance to Mandalay Hill File:So Hla Waing 2.jpg| Chinthe of So Hla Waing in Bagan, Myanmar File:Suspension of the Mingun Bell.jpg|Chinthe atop the Mingun Bell
Relation to Second World War Chindits
During the Second World War, the British Brigadier Orde Wingate was given command of forces charged with long-range penetration operations behind Japanese lines in Burma. At the suggestion of Captain Aung Thin of the Burma Rifles, Wingate decided to call this force "The Chinthes" (The Lions), a name which became corrupted to "The Chindits" and was so recorded in the annals of World War II. Chinthe is also the nickname of the Canadian 435 Squadron, formed originally in 19441 in India. The badge of the RCAF 435th features a chinthe on a plinth. The present-day brigade in the British Army is named the 77th Brigade in tribute to the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, which was part of Wingates's Chindits. The formation badge of the revived 77th shows a stylised lion known as a Chinthe in reference to the Chindits.
See also
Asiatic lion Chinese guardian lions Shisa Shishi Singh Lion dance
Notes
References
External links
Chindit Insignia
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1366000511 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.