You must have seen a half lion, half fish creature in the pictures of Singapore. What is this?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a visit to Brunei and Singapore. Singapore is also being discussed in India due to PM Modi’s visit. Whenever Singapore is talked about, the image of a city with big buildings must be forming in your mind. Along with this, you must have seen a statue in the pictures of Singapore and it is installed at many places in Singapore, which is the identity of Singapore. This is the statue of such a creature, whose mouth is like a lion, but its back part is like a fish.

In such a situation, the question is whether such a creature really exists or has it been installed in Singapore as a symbol. So let’s know what it is called, what is its connection with Singapore and what is its story…

What is this creature?

Actually, this special kind of creature is called Merlion and it is the national emblem of Singapore. You will see the picture of this creature in many things related to Singapore. But this creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish is not a real creature but a mythical creature. That is, it is just an imagination and a way to show the culture of Singapore. Let us tell you that it was first created in 1964 for the corporate logo of Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB).

This was the Board’s logo from 1964 to 1997, but was later changed. However, the Board retains the exclusive right to use the symbol. The Merlion was designed by British arachnologist Alec Fraser-Brunner, who was then the curator of the Van Cleef Aquarium in Singapore.

The merlon’s fish-like body is a nod to Singapore’s fishing village origins, historically known as Temasek. The lion’s head is a reminder of the tale from Malay history when Prince Sang Nila Utama of Palembang first landed on the island’s shores. He saw a strange animal near the mouth of the Singapore River, which he later identified as a lion, leading him to rename Temasek as Singapura (Lion City in Sanskrit).

But you will be surprised to know that Singapore is named after the lion and its symbols also have lions, but there is not a single lion in Singapore. If there is a lion only in the zoo, then that is a different matter. Whenever you go to the tourist places of Singapore, you will get to see pictures of Merlion everywhere.

What is special about PM Modi’s visit?

Let us tell you that during the Singapore visit, many MoUs are to be signed between the two countries, which include food security, energy, green hydrogen and semiconductors. It is being told that PM Modi’s visit to Singapore is important for India’s Act East Policy. Singapore is India’s largest trade partner among ASEAN countries. During this, PM Modi will meet business leaders and CEOs of many big companies. During this, regional issues like South China Sea and Myanmar can be discussed.