Dawon

Dawon,[1] is a sacred lion (sometimes drawn as a tiger) in Tibetan lore, and was later known as Gdon after it was introduced into Hinduism. In Hindu myths, the tigerish Gdon was offered by gods to serve goddess Parvati (Durga) as a mount for rewarding her victory. As Durga fought with ten weapons wielded on her arms, Dawon supported its master and attacked the foes with its claws and fangs. The threatening tiger represented power from the wars its master had won over enemies.

Dawon has often been represented in traditional and ancient Bengali culture and Indian culture in the form of Ghatokbahini (Bengali: ঘটকবাহিনী সিংহ), i. e. in the form of a half-lion, half-tiger hybrid.