Garuda, a bird deity, with the head and wings of an eagle and sometimes with the rest of his body like that of a man, is called the king of birds and he is also the carrier of Lord Vishnu.

Garuda is also known by another name Vinayaka, which he shares with Lord Ganesh. Thus, this god-bird is thought to be remover of obstacles. Garuda is not separately worshipped as an independent god. He is worshipped together with Vishnu. His image is placed near Vishnu in temples and in pictures he is depicted carrying Vishnu in the skies on its back.

The elder brother of Garuda is Urud or Aruna, who is charioteer of Surya, the Sun God. Garuda's son is Jatayu. This bird (Jatayu) tried to rescue Sita, when Ravana was fleeing after kidnapping her. Ravana fights him and wounds him fatally.

The wayang has a strong tradition in the world of Java and Indonesia, representing the struggle between good and evil. This Wayang Golek puppet is on a base and stands a little over 31". He can be removed from the base and both the head and arms can be moved. It has very finely detailed carvings on the head and body, with vivid color and detailed paintings. The body is beautifully decorated in beads and Batik. Each Wayang Golek puppet is individually carved and painted by hand making each unique. They are made for the artists who make the puppets for Asep Sunarya (puppet master) who performs worldwide. These are Indonesia's finest Wayang Golek puppets.

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