Makara

Origin and tradition

South Asian art and myth describe Makara as a composite aquatic creature linked to rivers, sea gates, and divine mounts.

Illustration in this atlas

A crocodile-fish-elephant hybrid with curling jaws, scaled flanks, and a tail shaped like river current.

References and further reading

1. en.wikipedia.org — Makara

These references offer further reading. Accounts and depictions vary; the atlas illustration is interpretive artwork, rather than historical or scientific evidence.