The hamsa (Sanskrit: हंस, haṃsa or hansa) is an aquatic bird of passage, which various scholars have interpreted as the goose, the swan,[1] or even the flamingo.[2][3] Its icon is used in Indian and Southeast Asian culture as a spiritual symbol and a decorative element. It is believed by Hindus to be the vahana (or vehicle) of Brahma, Gayatri, Saraswati, and Vishvakarma.