Kinnara-Kinnari

Kinnara-Kinnari are celestial beings in Hindu-Buddhist mythology who are depicted as human from head to waist and as birds or fowl from waist down. Kinnara has a male body; sometimes depicted as having a mustache and beard. Meanwhile, Kinnari has a female body which is depicted as having breasts and sometimes long hair. Kinnara-Kinnari serve as guardians of the kalpataru tree or kalpawrksa (tree of life), so this pair of creatures are almost always not far from the kalpataru tree. The kalpataru tree is a heavenly tree that lives forever and is a place to hang all hopes. Kinnara-Kinnari are believed to be followers of Bathara Indra as well as heavenly artists who provide artistic performances, such as reciting poetry, dancing, and playing musical instruments. The visualization of the Kinara-Kinari figures is most commonly found in temple ornamentation. In temple reliefs, these figures are often depicted standing flanking the Kalpataru tree, or holding musical instruments. Visualization of these figures can also be found in the form of statues or dlupak. The story of Kinnara-Kinnari, in addition to temple reliefs, can also be found in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Lalitavistara, and other Javanese literature. The story of the Kinari figure that is quite iconic is the story of Princess Manohara, the daughter of King Kinnara who is depicted in a series of Avadana reliefs at Borobudur temple. In the relief, Manohara is depicted as a complete human being who looks like an angel. The relief tells the story of the love story between Manohara and Sudhana, a crown prince from the North Pancala kingdom. The story of Sudhana and Manohara is a complicated love story. The pattern of the love story of a prince losing his partner or lover is common. The message of Tantra can be found in the story, when the princess is found again. The wife is interpreted as a source of spiritual strength for the husband. The meeting between Sudhana and Manohara represents the idea of ??the unification of earth and sky; a symbol of the worldly and spiritual.