Himavan
King of the Himalayas
The Himalaya mountains in the form of a wise king - and the proud father of Parvati, which makes him Shiva's father-in-law.
- Sanskrit/Telugu name: హిమవంతుడు
- Also known as: Himavat, Parvata Raja
- Symbols: Snow peaks
Story
Himavan is not just a king who lives in the mountains - he IS the mountains, the mighty Himalayas standing up in the form of a gentle, wise ruler. His palace is imagined among the snowy peaks, with rivers for daughters and clouds for a crown. His most famous child is Parvati, whose very name means "daughter of the mountain" (parvata means mountain). When little Parvati insisted she would marry only Shiva, Himavan worried like any father - Shiva lived in cremation grounds and wore snakes! - but he blessed her tapas, and when Shiva finally arrived as a groom, Himavan hosted the grandest wedding the universe has ever seen. In many tellings, the river goddess Ganga is also his daughter, making the two great treasures of India - the Himalayas' snows and the Ganga's waters - one family. Every time you see a picture of Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailash, remember: they're living in her father's neighborhood.
Fun fact
Parvati's name is basically "Miss Mountain" - parvata means mountain in Sanskrit, so she is literally named after her father.