kinnar

Kinnar, from the Sanskrit kinnara/kinnari, refers to beings in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. They are typically depicted as celestial musicians who are half-human and half-bird, living among the gods in heavenly realms. In various traditions, kinnars appear as male or female figures and are valued for their musical and poetic arts.

In myth and art, kinnars are famed for singing and playing instruments such as the veena. They are commonly shown in temple carvings and Buddhist and Hindu iconography across South Asia and Southeast Asia, often as attendants or companions of gods, scholars, and apsaras. Their representations symbolize the fusion of human artistry and divine glamour.

Modern usage: In contemporary India and Nepal, the term kinnar or kinnari is also used to refer to transgender people. The term is part of broader discussions about gender identity in the region, and some communities adopt it as an identity within movements advocating transgender rights. This modern usage is distinct from the mythological beings, though it draws on the same name.

Overall, the term has both mythological and modern social meanings, linked primarily by name but distinct in context.