The Story of Indra and Airavata

Long ago, Lord Indra, the king of the gods, needed a strong and noble mount to help him in his duties. So, he went to Lord Brahma, the wise creator of the universe, and asked for his help.

Lord Brahma agreed, saying, “You are the chief of the gods, Indra. You deserve a special mount. I will find one for you, but you must wait for the right time.”

Not long after, the great event called the Samudra Manthana, or “churning of the ocean,” began. The gods and demons worked together to churn the vast ocean, searching for the magical elixir called Amrutha, which could give eternal life.

As the ocean churned, many wonderful things emerged from the water. One of them was a magnificent white elephant named Airavata. Airavata was no ordinary elephant – he was huge, strong, and had wings that allowed him to fly!

Lord Brahma looked at the beautiful elephant and thought, “This is the perfect mount for Lord Indra.”

He turned to Indra and asked, “Indra, would you like Airavata to be your vaahana, your trusted companion and mount?”

Lord Indra was thrilled and gladly accepted. He knew Airavata was strong and majestic, just what he needed. From that day on, Airavata became the loyal vaahana of Lord Indra, carrying him across the heavens and through the skies with great pride.

And that is how Airavata, the majestic white elephant, became the beloved mount of Lord Indra, helping him protect the heavens and keep peace in the universe.

Lord Indra, the chief of Gods approached Lord Brahma, the creator requesting for a mount. Brahma agreed the chief of Gods would need a suitable carrier and asked him to wait till he finds a suitable mount.

During the Samudra manthana, the churning of the milky ocean in quest of the elixir, Amrutha, Airavata or the celestial white elephant emerged. Lord Brahma asked if Indra considers this majestic flying elephant worthy to be Indra’s mount.

Lord Indra was very pleased to accept Airavatha as his carrier and mount.