Dawon

Dawon, a sacred tiger (sometimes drawn as a lion ) originated from Tibetan legend but was later adapted to Hindu mythology. In the later myth, it was offered by gods to serve goddess Durga or Parvati as mount for rewarding her victory. As Durga fought with ten weapons wielded on her arms, Dawon supported its mistress and attacked the foes with its claws and fangs. Also the threatening tiger represented power from the wars its mistress had won over all enemies.

Dawon in traditional and ancient Bengali culture and Indian culture has often been represented in the Ghatokbahini (Bengali: ঘটকবাহিনী সিংহ) also known as Ghatokbahini Singha form, that is half lion and half tiger.