According to the Hindu religion, Indra (also Devendra) is the king of Gods. He is the counterpart of Zeus or Jupiter of the Greek or Roman mythology. Hindu mythology praises him as the ruler of heaven.
Indra is the eldest son of sage Kasyapa and
Goddess Aditi. He is the great grandson of Lord Brahma, the creator. His mounts are Airavata, the white elephant with four tusks and Uchaisravas, the milky-white flying horse. His chief weapon is the ‘Vajra’ or thunderbolt.
The word Indra is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit ‘ind’, meaning, to be powerful, to tear enemies apart. There is also an argument that it is derived from ‘in’ which means to be able, strong and energetic.
The capital of Indra is called Amaravati and his court, the Indra sabha. The Indra sabha is beleived to be grand and dotted with greenery. Its magnificence cannot be matched by any palace in the universe. Lord Indra is said to have the power to invoke rain. It is therefore customary on hot dry spells to pray to Indra for rain.
