Large ornate Naga sculpture with multiple heads, guarding entrance to prayer hall of Wat Chayamangkalaram, oldest Siamese Buddhist temple in Penang

---

In various Asian religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, the Nagas are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form. The Naga is also believed to be a symbol of water and fertility and serves as a guardian of Buddhism. In November 2022, the mythical creature was designated by the Thai government as the national symbol of Thailand.

---

Size: 3712px × 5568px
Location: Penang, Malaysia
Photo credit: © positivesoundvision / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: art, artwork, asia, asian, belief, buddhism, chayamangkalaram, creature, cultural, culture, deity, divine, entrance, fertility, form, giant, guard, guardian, hinduism, human, jainism, legend, malaysia, mythical, mythology, naga, nak, national, ornate, penang, race, religion, religious, sculpture, semi-divine, semi-human, serpent, snake, supernatural, symbol, symbolism, thai, thailand, theravada, tradition, vasuki, wat, water, worship