Overview
Vāhana (Sanskrit: वाहन, lit. 'that which carries'), also rendered as vahanam, refers to the being—typically an animal or a mythical creature—that a particular Hindu deity is said to use as a vehicle. In this role, the vāhana is often described as the deity's "mount", and the pairing of deity and vāhana forms a recurring theme in Hindu iconography and theology.
Across temple imagery, sculpture and painted depictions, deities are commonly shown riding upon, or simply mounted on, their respective vāhanas. In other instances, the vāhana is portrayed standing beside the deity, or it may be represented symbolically as a divine attribute associated with that deity. The relationship between the two is intimate: although the vāhana may act independently within narrative contexts, it is generally understood as functionally emblematic of its rider, and at times even regarded as an extension of the deity's own nature and powers.
The visual conventions for depicting a deity with a vāhana vary. The deity may be shown seated or standing on the vāhana, perched on a small platform placed upon it, riding with a saddle, or riding bareback. The vāhana may thus be treated as an accoutrement of the deity—an iconographic marker by which the deity can be readily identified, in addition to serving as a means of conveyance within mythological narratives.
Through this partnership, the vāhana contributes both to the recognisability of individual deities in art and to the wider symbolism of Hindu traditions, in which qualities embodied by the mount are often understood as complementary to, or expressive of, the character of the deity.