Hanuman is the epitome of devotion to Rama. He stands for extraordinary physical strength, courage and humility too. So, it was little wonder that Rama entrusted Hanuman with the task of carrying his message to Sita in Lanka. Again, it was Hanuman wh...........

Rama was frantic. His beloved brother lay dying and the only cure was tucked away on a forested mountainside far, far to the north. Big-hearted Hanuman could not bear to see their pain. He swelled into a giant; he flew; he battled deadly crocodiles a...........

The only way Kumbhakarna could be kept out of mischief was to make him sleep 24 hours a day! Nothing would rouse this hulking ogre - not the trumpeting and trampling of elephants, not the deafening din of drums, and certainly not a rain of rocks. But...........

When his rakshasa army was destroyed in the battle against Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, Ravana, the Lord of Lanka, called for his sin Mahiravana, a powerful magician. Would he succeed in killing the noble Rama and Laxmana? Not while Hanuman was aroun...........

Ravana had soaring ambitions - he thought he could be the Lord of the universe. But he was no match for the great destroyer Lord Shiva, or the mighty thousand-armed Kartaveerya Arjuna, or even the monkey King Vali of Kishkindha. These powerful lords ...........

Vali's days were numbered. Brave enough to confront the most vicious of demons, and strong enough to destroy them everytime, he unfortunately could not conquer his own pride. Foolishly, he turned his adoring brother; Sugreeva, into a mortal enemy and...........

Vali's days were numbered. Brave enough to confront the most vicious of demons, and strong enough to destroy them every time, he unfortunately could not conquer his own pride. Foolishly, he turned his adoring brother; Sugreeva, into a mortal enemy an...........

No one dared challenge the might of King Rama of Ayodhya. Famous for his valour and skill as a warrior, he confidently set out to become the King of the World. But then, his forces came up against two little boys roaming the forest wilds. Luv and Kus...........

Amar Chitra Katha brings you Divine Rivers, a collection of legends about seven Indian rivers and how they came to be. Rivers that have, for centuries, nourished the land they flow through. The blessings of these rivers are truly life-giving, making ...........

Ganga's cleansing waters were urgently needed on earth. But, the dauntless daughter of the mountain god was not to be easily subdued as her water darted about uncontrollably. Only Shiva could tame her by entangling her in the coils of his hair. When ...........

From his snowy abode on Mount Kailash Lord Shiva travelled far and wide, answering the prayers of his devotees. But he was often in disguise to ensure that his favours went only to the deserving. And so it was that he battled with the dauntless Panda...........

Only Sati could fulfill Shiva's exacting demands. As his companion she could match his ascetic ways as well as be a loving wife. Unfortunately, her happiness was overshadowed by an arrogant father. Sati countered Daksh's insensitivity with an immense...........

Sage Narada symbolises unqualified devotion to Lord Vishnu, also known as Narayana. He is inseparable from his veena and has the name of Lord Narayana on his lips. In the Puranic stories, it is Narada who puts the Lord's devotees to test. But when he...........

A powerful demon threatens the gods in the heaven. They need a saviour, who, Lord Brahma decrees, will be the son born to Shiva and Parvati. But Shiva - a badly-dressed, untidy, solitary ascetic - seems to enjoy bachelorhood. Even Parvati's unmatched...........

The Puranas describe Karttikeya, a son of Shiva, as the commander-in-chief of the celestial army. He is also known as Subrahmanya, Skanda, Guha and Kumara. To the Tamil-speaking people he is Murugan. The six-headed, twelve-armed Karttikeya seated on ...........

Ganesha revered in India as the remover of obstacles is first and foremost an obedient son. Standing guard at his mother's door, this son of Parvati refuses to let anyone through. Even Lord Shiva is denied entry! This confrontation between father and...........

Lord Shiva, it is believed, has many faces and multiple forms, and each tells a tale. Visitors to an emerald-green island off the coast of Mumbai are reminded of these dramatic episodes by the work of skillful, dedicated sculptors, who lived more tha...........

The Moon faced Ganesha's wrath for laughing at him, when the elephant-headed god fell off the mouse he rode. When Ravana obtained the Atmalinga from Shiva, the gods were perturbed and turned to Ganesha for a solution. Kind-hearted, benign and a...........

Legend has it that the ancient town of Thanjavur came up on the spot where Vishnu defeated an evil demon. The mighty Cholas made it their capital in the 9th century CE, following which they increased, through conquest, the size and strength od their ...........

The asuras rejoiced as they played havoc with both men and gods. Maya, their gifted architect, had created for them three cities fortified with iron, silver and gold, and the great lord Brahma himself had decreed that these cities would be indestruct...........

Adi Shakti is considered to be the original creator of the universe. She is the power that protects and destroys. She represents the fertile, bountiful earth and is the protector of all life form. All goddesses are considered to be manifestations of ...........

Goddess Durga is the fierce form of Adi Shakti who is considered the personification of Universal energy. According to the Devi Bhagavata, the universe is but Her manifestation. The worship of Durga is believed to be more than 4,000 years old in Indi...........

Bhoodevi, the earth, was being ravaged by evil asuras. She turned to the gods for aid but even the powerful trinity if Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, were helpless. Concerned by the events, their consorts, Saraswati, Laxmi and Parvati combined their power...........

भूदेवी, पृथ्वी पापी असुरों के उत्पात से लहूलुहान हो रही थी। उन्होंने सहायता के लिए देवताओं से गुहार लगाई, परंतु ब्रह्मा, विष्णु और महेश भी असहाय थे। इन घटनाओं से चिंतित उनकी पत्नियां, सरस्वती, लक्ष्मी और पार्वती ने अपनी शक्तियों के संयोग से अजेय श...........

In Puranic lore, Vishnu is the preserver of the universe and the cosmic order. The Dasha Avatar is the Puranic story of the ten incarnations of Vishnu who descends to the terrestrial world to establish stability and order, time and again. The avatars...........