Balaha, Vahala

Balaha, emanation of bodhisatva Avalokitesvara (Lokesvara) as a flying horse rescuing the trader Samhala and his five companions from a shipwreck (or from being held captive by a group of Rakshasa. Part of Buddhist Valahassa Jataka.

In Tibet and Nepal, Balaha is represented as the Wind Horse on Buddhist prayer flags. In Cambodia, the Balaha stone statue at Prasat Neak Pean was restored and identified in the 1920s. A copy of the sculpture was erected at the entrance of former Siem Reap International Airport.