Vahanas- vehicle of the Gods

Vahana in Sanskrit literally means "that which carries, that which pulls" denotes the vehicle of a Hindu deity. In this capacity, the vahana is often called the deity's "mount". Into this is woven much iconography and mythology. In Hindu iconography, positive aspects of the vehicle are often emblematic of the deity that it carries. However, the Vahana also symbolizes the evil forces over which the deity dominates. The relationship between the deity and the Vehicle is not merely that of a master and servant, but almost that of a father and son, or the body and the soul. Outwardly they may appear as two entities, but internally they are united and share the same consciousness as in case of an embodied being.