Garuda
Garuda, the eagle, is a lesser Hindu and Buddhist god, the mount (vahanam) of Vishnu, one of the main Hindu Gods. Garuda is depicted as having a golden body, white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and wings but a man's body. He is ancient and huge, and can block out the sun. He ate snakes until a Buddhist prince taught him the importance of asceticism; Garuda then resurrected all the snakes he had eaten.
Garuda is the Malay form of the Phoenix. The Japanese also know the Garuda, which they call the Karura.
Thailand and Indonesia have the Garuda as their national symbols; the Indonesian national airline is Garuda Indonesia.
