Vayu

In Hindu mythology, the deity who is
wind personified. Vayu is a minor deity
who is one of the eight Guardians of the
Directions; his direction is the northwest. Aside from being the external
winds, Vayu is also believed to be present inside the body, in the five “vital
winds” (prana) through which all physiological processes are believed to occur.
Although Vayu is a minor deity, two of
his sons are extremely significant. His
son, Bhima, is one of the five Pandava
brothers who are the protagonists in the
Mahabharata, the later of the two great
Sanskrit epics. Bhima is famous for his
size and strength, and also for his earthy
appetites, both of which reflect the
wind’s raw, uncontrollable nature. Vayu’s
other famous son is the monkey-god,
Hanuman. Even though mythically
Hanuman is most famous for his devotion and service to the god Rama, in
practical terms he is one of the most
popular and widely worshiped deities in
northern India. This popularity may
stem from his intermediate status;
because Hanuman is also a servant, he
is less remote and majestic than Rama
and, therefore, accessible to human
petitions. Another important factor is
that this accessibility is coupled with
power and the ability to protect those
who call on him.