Gate, Wat Prasat Burapharam Near Muang Tam, Thailand 18th-20th century

The pediment, above the gate to this small modern temple, depicts Vishnu riding on Garuda; oddly, the deity also holds a trident, emblem of Shiva. Squirrels appear here and there on the pediment, which is lined at the bottom by a row of adoring figures. The snake clutched by Garuda has one head at each end of its body (near Garuda's feet), and each head disgorges a snake's tail (makara). The snake holds a similar place, in the overall decorative scheme, as the floral garland in earlier temples.