In Vedic times, Indra was the supreme ruler of all the gods and the leader of Devas. Indra was god of war and greatest of all warriors. He was the strongest of all beings and rules thunder and storms. Indra was the defender of all gods and mankind against the forces of the evil. In earlier scripts he was narrated as the aspect of the sun-god, riding in a golden chariot across the heaven. Later he was ascribed as the god of thunder and storms owning a celestial weapon Vajra or lightening bolt. He elso utilizes the bow, a net and a hook in the battle. He is a creator god since he brings water to the earth and thus causes fertility. He has also the power to revive slain warriors who had fallen in the battle.

Indra is a powerful god. He is described with a fair-reddish complexion and either two or four very long arms. He is the son of Sky God Dyaus Pita and the Earth Goddess Prithivi. He was born as a full growned four armed yong man from his mother`s side.Indra`s wife is Indrani and his attendants are called Maruts. He has many sons named as Jayanta, Midhusa, Nilambara, Rbhus, Rsabha, Sitragupta. Arjuna was his most famous song who was born from Kunti. Most hymns in the Rigveda are dedicated to Indra.

Indra was a great drinker of Soma or wine .Sometime he drinks to attain power for the battle but most of the times he drinks because he wants to get drunk. For his conveyance he uses chariot and when not in the chariot, he rides the divine elephant Airavata, who is always victorious ,has four tusks and look like a mountain. Indra is given several titles including Sakra (powerful), Vajri (the thunderer), Purandara (destroyer of cities), Meghavahana (rider of the clouds) and Swargapati (the Lord of heaven).

Indra`s abode is in heaven or Swarga, which is situated in the clouds sorrounding the highest peak of sacred mountain Meru. This heaven could move anywhere according to Lord`s command. There is an enormous hall where Indra`s court is held and slain warriors go their after their death. Indra and his beautiful consort Indrani preside over the paradise. No sorrow, suffering or fear are allowed in Indra`s home. Apsaras dance and Gandharvas play music to entertain Indra and other guests and gaming and athletic contests are held.

Indra`s most notable success was his battle that was won against the asura Vritra. Vritra took the form of a powerful dragon and had stolen all the water from the world. No one could defeat him until Indra was born.When Indra heard what has happened he vowed to take back the life giving liquid. Before the battle he drank Soma to attain power. Indra chased Vritra through smashing ninety-nine fortresses. He finally faced the terrible dragon. After a fierce battle Indra was able to destroy his powerful foe. Vritra had kept the earth in draught, but when Indra split him open, water fell from the sky. Thus Indra became hero to all people and the gods elected him as their king.

In the later version of the story, Vritra was created by Tvashtri to take revenge on Indra, who killed his other son Trisira, who was a pious Brahmin. Indra killed Trisira as his power worried him. Vritra won the battle and swallowed Indra. Other gods insisted Vritra to vomit out indra. The battle continued and Indra fled away. Vishnu and other sages negotiated a peace and Indra swore that he would not attack Vritra any more with anything made of metal, wood or stone, nor with anything that was dry or wet or during day or night. Finally Indra used the foam from the wave of oceans to kill vritra on the twilight.

Another version of killing Vritra is there in Mahabharata. Vritra was a Brahmin who attained supernatural powers and became a danger to the gods . Indra wanted to save the gods and killed him after a great battle. Thus he attained the sin of killing a Brahaman. A horrible goddess named as Brahamanahatya (personified form of killing of a Brahmin)rose from the dead corpse of Vritra and chased Indra, who hid inside a lotus flower. Indra went to Brahma and begged to save him from the sin of killing a Brahmin.Brahma agreed and indra had to undergo a penance.

It is said that Indra`s weapon Vajra is made from the bones of a sage Dadhichi, who sacrificed himself for the welfare of Gods. Thus in brahamanic and in later times Indra slowly lost much of his grandeur. He was replaced by Vishnu and Shiva as the supreme gods.Indra eventually was given the role of weather god and the lord of demi gods.

Indra had an affair with sage Gautama`s wife Ahalya. He decieved Gautama and made love to ahalya. He was cursed by Gautama and as an effect his testicles fell off and his body was covered with one thousand vaginal mark, displayed in a grotesque and vulgar manner. Indra pleaded to Brahma and the vaginal marks changed to one thousand eyes instead.

Indra`s throne remain insecure forever. He was repeatedly humiliated by demonic kings. The king of Lanka, Ravana insulted indra several times. His son Indrajit (means who have won Indra) bound Indra in serpent nooses and dragged him across Lanka in a humiliating display. Indrajit was convinced by Brahma to relaese Indra and in exchange he got many celestial weapons. Indra as a defeated king had to pay tribute to accept Ravana`s supremacy. Indra realized the bad effects of his sin. Later Vishnu`s incarnation, Rama took avenge for him and slew Ravana to rescue the three worlds from the sin.

There is another story about Indra in Brahmavaivarta Purana. After defeating Vritra, Indra was elected and ordered the heavenly craftsman Vishvakarma to build a grand palace for him. Indra was so proud about his success that he demanded every fine details and more improvement from the craftsman. At last, Vishvakarma was so exhausted that he asked for help from Brahma, who in turn appealed Vishnu, the supreme Lord.

Vishnu visited Indra`s palace in the guise of a Brahamin boy.The boy was welcomed by Indra and Vishnu entered the palace. He praised the palace and casually added that no former Indra was able to build such a beautiful palace. At first Indra was amused at the Brahaman boy`s claim to know many other Indras but his amusement turned to horror when he learned about his ancestor Indras. The boy told Indra about the great cycle of creation and destruction and even about the enormous number of worlds scattered throughout the universe, each with its own Indra. The boy claimed that he had seen them all. During the boy`s speech, a procession of ants entered the hall. The boy saw it and smiled. Indra saked the boy the reason behind his laughing. The boy answered that all the ants are the former Indras.

During this conversation another visitor entered the hall, who was Lord Shiva, in the form of a hermit. On his chest there was a circular cluster of hairs, which was intact at the circumference but there was a gap in the middle. Shiva said that each of the chest hair represnted the life of one indra. Each time a hair fall denoted the death of one indra which was replaced by another Indra.

Indra was no longer interested in wealth and honor. He rewarded Vishvakarma and released him from his work. Indra decided to avoid the life of luxury and became a hermit to seek wisdom. Indra`s wife Sachi felt helpless and asked the priest Brihaspati to change her husband`s mind. Brihaspati taught Indra the virtues of both spiritual life and worldly life.Thus Indra learned to persue wisdom while still fulfilling his duty as a king.

Each `Manu` ruled during a longest geographical period or eon, which is called `Manvantara`. Fourteen Manvantaras make up a `Kalpa`, which is a period corresponding to the life of Brahma. In Vishnu Purana there is a list of all the Manvantaras which were ruled by different Indra : The Svayambhuva was ruled by Yajna, who was an incarnation of Vishnu; in Swarochis the ruler Indra was Vipaschit; in Uttam Sushaanti; in Taamas Shibi; in Raivat Vibhu; in Chaakshush Manojav; in Shraaddhdev Purandar or the present Indra ; in Saavarni Bali; in Daksha Saavarni Adbhut; in Brahma Saavarni Shanti; in Dharma Saavarni Vish; in Rudraputra Saavarni Ritudhaama;in Ruchi or Deva Saavarni Devaspati; in Bhaum or Indra Saavarni Suchi.