Figures in the festival stories
Characters in Hindu Festival Stories
In short
Every Hindu festival carries a story, and every story its people — gods, kings, mothers, brothers, and the figures they contend with. Here is who they are, told simply and faithfully to the source, each linked to the festivals they belong to.
Who they areTheir storyWhat they represent
- BrahmachariniSecond Navadurga — the ascetic of penanceBrahmacharini is the second of the nine Navadurga forms, worshipped on the second night of Navratri. She is the goddess as devoted ascetic: walking barefoot
- ChandraghantaThird Navadurga — the crescent-belled warriorChandraghanta is the third of the nine Navadurga forms, worshipped on the third night of Navratri. Named for the crescent moon shaped like a bell (ghanta)
- DevakiKrishna's birth motherDevaki is the birth mother of Krishna in Hindu tradition and the wife of the Yadava prince Vasudeva. Imprisoned in Mathura by the tyrant Kansa, she saw six
- DhanvantariPhysician of the gods, bearer of amritaDhanvantari is the physician of the gods and the divine origin of Ayurveda in Hindu tradition. He rose from the churning of the cosmic ocean (Samudra
- DraupadiFire-born princess of Panchala, queen of the PandavasDraupadi, also called Panchali or Krishnaa, is the fire-born princess of Panchala and the shared wife of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata
- IndraKing of the devas, lord of stormsIndra is the king of the devas and lord of storms, thunder, and rain in Hindu tradition. Wielding the thunderbolt (vajra) and riding the white elephant
- KalaratriSeventh Navadurga — the dark, fearless protectorKalaratri is the seventh of the nine Navadurga forms, worshipped on the seventh night of Navratri. She is the darkest and most fearsome aspect of the goddess
- KansaThe tyrant king of MathuraKansa (Kamsa) is the tyrant king of Mathura and the antagonist of the Krishna birth story. In popular tradition Devaki's brother, he seizes the throne, is
- KatyayaniSixth Navadurga — the warrior born of sage KatyayanaKatyayani is the sixth of the nine Navadurga forms, worshipped on the sixth night of Navratri. A fierce warrior goddess who rides a lion, she is celebrated
- King BaliThe generous asura king of the Vamana storyKing Bali, also called Mahabali, is the noble and generous asura (demon) king of Hindu tradition, grandson of Prahlada. Renowned for his truthfulness and
- KumbhakarnaRavana's giant, six-months-sleeping brotherKumbhakarna is the giant younger brother of the demon-king Ravana in the Valmiki Ramayana. Famous for a boon that made him sleep six months at a time, he was
- KushmandaFourth Navadurga — source of cosmic warmthKushmanda is the fourth of the nine Navadurga forms, worshipped on the fourth night of Navratri. Her name evokes the cosmic egg born of her warmth: tradition
- LakshmanaRama's devoted younger brotherLakshmana is Rama's devoted younger brother in the Ramayana, the epic attributed to Valmiki. The son of King Dasharatha and Queen Sumitra, he leaves Ayodhya
- MahagauriEighth Navadurga — the radiant, forgiving formMahagauri is the eighth of the nine Navadurga forms, worshipped on the eighth night of Navratri (Maha Ashtami). Radiant and pure white, she rides a bull and
- MahishasuraThe shape-shifting buffalo-demon slain by DurgaMahishasura is the shape-shifting buffalo-demon of Hindu tradition whose defeat by the goddess Durga is celebrated at Navratri and Dussehra. Granted a boon
- MeghnadRavana's mighty son, conqueror of IndraMeghnad, better known as Indrajit, is the mighty son of Ravana and Queen Mandodari in the Valmiki Ramayana. A master of illusion and celestial weapons, he
- NandaKrishna's foster father, chief of GokulNanda (Nanda Baba) is Krishna's foster father and the chief of the cowherd (gopa) community of Gokul in the Vraja region. A cousin or close kinsman of
- NarakasuraThe demon slain by Krishna on Naraka ChaturdashiNarakasura is a powerful asura (demon) king slain by Krishna, whose death is commemorated on Naraka Chaturdashi, or Chhoti Diwali. According to the Bhagavata
- ParvatiThe Mother Goddess, consort of Shiva, mother of GaneshaParvati, also called Gauri, is the Hindu mother goddess and Shiva's consort. The daughter of the mountain-king Himavan, she won Shiva through fierce penance
- RavanaThe ten-headed king of LankaRavana is the ten-headed rakshasa king of Lanka and the chief antagonist of the Ramayana, the epic attributed to Valmiki. A learned brahmin, powerful ascetic
- SatyavanSavitri's husband, restored to lifeSatyavan is Savitri's husband in the Mahabharata, a prince fated to die young. Son of the blind, exiled king Dyumatsena, he lives in the forest and is chosen
- SavitriWho followed Yama to win back her husband's lifeSavitri is a princess in the Mahabharata renowned for winning her husband back from death. Daughter of King Ashwapati of Madra, she chose the short-lived
- ShailaputriFirst Navadurga — daughter of the mountainShailaputri is the first of the nine Navadurga forms, worshipped on the opening night of Navratri. Her name means 'daughter of the mountain,' for she is the
- SiddhidatriNinth Navadurga — giver of perfectionsSiddhidatri is the ninth and final Navadurga form, worshipped on the ninth night of Navratri (Maha Navami). Seated on a lotus, she is the giver of siddhis
- SitaDaughter of the earth, wife of RamaSita, also called Janaki, is the wife of Rama and the heroine of the Ramayana, the Sanskrit epic attributed to the sage Valmiki. Born as the daughter of King
- SkandamataFifth Navadurga — mother of Skanda (Kartikeya)Skandamata is the fifth of the nine Navadurga forms, worshipped on the fifth night of Navratri. Her name means 'mother of Skanda,' the war-god Kartikeya. She
- VasudevaKrishna's birth father, a Yadava princeVasudeva is the birth father of Krishna and husband of Devaki, a prince of the Yadava (Vrishni) clan. Imprisoned by Kansa, he is the one who, on the night of
- VeeravatiThe queen of the Karva Chauth legendVeeravati is the queen of the best-known Karva Chauth legend: a devoted young wife and the only sister of seven brothers, who is tricked by them into
- YamaLord of death and keeper of dharmaYama, also called Yamaraj or Dharmaraja, is the Hindu lord of death and the upholder of dharma who judges souls after death. The son of the sun god Surya, he
- YamunaRiver goddess, sister of YamaYamuna, also called Yami, is the Hindu river goddess and the twin sister of Yama, lord of death. Daughter of the sun god Surya and Saranyu, she is honored as
- YashodaKrishna's foster mother in GokulYashoda is Krishna's foster mother in Gokul and the wife of the cowherd chief Nanda. She raised Krishna as her own after Vasudeva secretly brought the
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