Scientific name

Panthera leo Linn

Common name

Asiatic Lion

Hindi

Sher

Sanskrit 

Simha

Telugu

Mahisha

Distribution

Confined in Gir forest in Gujarat

Religious association

 Goddess Durga

Lion is the vehicle of Goddess Durga, the fierce form of the goddess Parvati, is often depicted as a warrior goddess. The lion also is the doorkeeper in several Shiva temples.

Lord Narasimha

Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu was halfman (Nara) and half-lion (Simha).The goddess Narasimhi is one of the Sapta Matrikas, the Seven Mothers of Tantric religion.

Simhamukha Dakini

The lion is a very important symbol in Buddhism. The teachings of Buddha are sometimes referred to as the ‘lion’s roar of dharma’. Simhamukha is a Buddhist dakini with a lion face.