Indra

Indra is the Vedic king of the gods and lord of rain, thunder and the heavens, called Svarga. He is shown holding the thunderbolt, vajra, and riding the white elephant Airavata. He is the chief deity of many hymns in the Rigveda, and in later Puranic tradition he holds the post of ruler of the gods and guardian of the east among the eight Dikpalas. In Odisha, Indra appears as a Dikpala in temple sculpture and in the lore of rain and harvest. Folk practice honours rain deities at the start of the monsoon.

In the Rigveda, Indra is the hero who slays the serpent Vritra with the vajra, releasing the waters held back by the demon and bringing rain to the world. The hymns also credit him with finding the cows hidden by the Panis and with giving the gods the soma drink.