Hanuman, also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine vanara, and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the Ramayana, Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotion to Rama and is considered a chiranjivi. He is traditionally believed to be the spiritual offspring of the wind deity Vayu, who is said to have played a significant role in his birth. In Shaiva tradition, he is regarded to be an incarnation of Shiva, while in most of the Vaishnava traditions he is the son and incarnation of Vayu. His tales are recounted not only in the Ramayana but also in the Mahabharata and various Puranas.
Vayu, also known as Vata and Pavana, is the Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the Vedic scriptures, Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king of gods. He is mentioned to be born from the breath of Supreme Being Vishvapurusha and also the first one to drink Soma. The Upanishads praise him as Prana or 'life breath of the world'. In the later Hindu scriptures, he is described as a dikpala, who looks over the north-west direction. The Hindu epics describe him as the father of the god Hanuman and Bhima.
The Pandavas is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. They are acknowledged as the sons of Pandu, the King of Kuru, but were fathered by different Devas (gods) due to Pandu's cursed inability to naturally conceive children. In the epic, the Pandavas married Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, and founded the city of Indraprastha after the Kuru Kingdom was split to avoid succession disputes. After the split, the other part of the kingdom was ruled by their cousins, the Kauravas. However, the Pandavas lost their kingdom to Duryodhana when Yudhishtira gambled it away during a game of dice. The bet Yudhishtira agreed to was that the Pandavas would hand the kingdom to the Kauravas and go into exile for 13 years. After this time the Kauravas refused to return the kingdom. As a result, the Pandavas waged a civil war against their extended family, and this conflict was known as the Kurukshetra War. With the help of the god Krishna, the Pandavas eventually won the war with the death of the Kauravas, albeit at great cost.
In Hindu scriptures, Durvasa, also known as Durvasas, is a legendary rishi (sage). He is the son of Anasuya and Atri. According to some Puranas, Durvasa is a partial avatar of Shiva, known for his short temper. Wherever he goes, he is received with great reverence by humans and devas alike.
Mohini is the Hindu goddess of enchantment. She is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a femme fatale, an enchantress, who maddens lovers and demons, sometimes leading them to their doom. Mohini is introduced into Hinduism in the narrative epic of the Mahabharata. Here, she appears as a form of Vishnu following the Churning of the Ocean, a mesmerising beauty who distributes the amrita to the weakened devas (gods) and depriving it to the dominant asuras (demons), allowing the former to defeat the latter with their newfound immortality.
Tilottama, is an apsara described in Hindu mythology.
Yama, also known as Kāla and Dharmarāja, is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Naraka. He is often identified with Dharmadeva, the personification of Dharma, though the two deities have different origins and myths.
Nahusha is a king of the Chandravamsha in Hindu Puranas and Mahabharata. He is described to be the son of Āyus, the eldest son of Pururavas, and Prabha, the daughter of Svarbhānu.
Tamil mythology refers to the folklore and traditions that are a part of the wider Dravidian pantheon, originating from the Tamil people. This body of mythology is a fusion of elements from Dravidian culture and the parent Indus Valley culture, both of which have been syncretised with mainstream Hinduism.
Jai Hanuman is a 1997 Indian television series based on the life of the Hindu deity Hanuman, an avatar of Shiva, in Hindi. It was directed by Sanjay Khan. The series was initially shown on the state-run DD National, and was later shown on Sony Entertainment Television in 2008.
The Panchakanya is a group of five iconic women of the Hindu epics, extolled in a hymn and whose names are believed to dispel sin when recited. They are Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara, and Mandodari. While Draupadi and Kunti are from the Mahabharata, Ahalya, Tara, and Mandodari are from the Ramayana. The Panchakanya are regarded to be ideal women who exemplify perfect wives in Hinduism.
Mahabharat is a 2013 Indian epic mythological television series based on the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. It aired from 16 September 2013 to 16 August 2014 on Star Plus. The series is available digitally on Disney+ Hotstar. Produced by Swastik Productions Pvt. Ltd, it starred Saurabh Raj Jain, Pooja Sharma, Shaheer Sheikh and Aham Sharma.
Roshani Chokshi is an American children's book author and a New York Times bestselling author.
Rick Riordan Presents is a book imprint of Disney-Hyperion that was launched in 2018 and is led by Stephanie Owens Lurie. The line publishes books that utilize the mythology of various cultures and countries in its storytelling akin to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians. The first book published under the imprint, Aru Shah and the End of Time, was released on March 23, 2018.
Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes is a fantasy mythology book published by Disney-Hyperion on April 7, 2020, under the "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing imprint. It is the third book in the Pandava Quintet and was written by author Roshani Chokshi. It revolves around the titular character Aru Shah as she adventures in a world of Hindu mythology with her friends and fellow Pandava sisters.
Aru Shah and the City of Gold is the fourth and penultimate book in the Pandava Quintet, written by author Roshani Chokshi. It was published under the "Rick Riordan Presents" imprint on April 6, 2021. The book follows fourteen-year-old Aru Shah as she struggles to find her place, and win the war against an ancient entity called the Sleeper. It received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising the complexity of the characters, and story's scope.
Pandava Quintet is a five-part book series written by Roshani Chokshi. It is part of the "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing imprint. The first book of the series and the imprint was published on March 23, 2018, under the name Aru Shah and the End of Time. The next books are Aru Shah and the Song of Death, Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes, Aru Shah and the City of Gold, and Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality. The main character of the series is the young Aru Shah, who is disliked by her classmates, but fits in with the other Pandava sisters, like Mini and Brynne, once she meets an enchanted talking pigeon who she nicknames "Boo" after touching a cursed ancient artifact. The rest of the series has gotten praise for being similar to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
Aru Shah and the Song of Death is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Roshani Chokshi, published on April 30, 2019, under the "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing imprint. It is the second book in the Pandava Quintet, following the debut novel, Aru Shah and the End of Time. While learning how to control her Pandava powers, Aru Shah is accused of stealing the god of love’s bow and arrow. To prove her innocence, she must navigate the serpent realm with Mini and two new companions.
