This is a list of legendary creatures from Indian folklore, including those from Vedic and Hindu mythology, sorted by their classification or affiliation.
Creatures associated with Animals Insects
Bees and other worldly insects Bhramari is the goddess of all insects and the goddess of honey bees. She is associated with bees, hornets, ants, locusts, wasps and all the other insects of the entire world, which cling to her body.
Scorpions
Chelamma, a scorpion goddess, native to southern Karnataka.
Matsya
Matsya is the first incarnation of the Hindu preserver god Vishnu in the form of a fish.Hindu Temple, Somnathpur Timingila is the blue whale that can swallow whole other species of whales in one bite.
Matsyāṅganā
Suvannamaccha is a daughter of Tosakanth (Ravana who gets killed by Rama in the end) appearing in the Thai and other Southeast Asian versions of Ramayana. She is a mermaid princess who tries to spoil Hanuman's plans to build a bridge to Lanka but falls in love with and married him instead, thereby allowing the bridge's constructions, seiges, invasions, battles, assassinations of the demon clans ultimately winning. Macchanu is the son of Hanuman and Suvanamaccha in the Cambodian, Thai and other Southeast Asian versions of the Ramayana, and who looked like a vanara from the waist-up but had the tail of a fish.
Frog Bheki is the name given to a frog that rules the sun on the horizon in Hindu legend.
Reptiles Kūrma
In Hinduism, Kurma is the second incarnation of Vishnu, in the form of a sea turtle. The World turtle in Hindu belief is known as Akupāra, or sometimes Chukva, a Chiranjivi. Bedawang or Bedawang Nala is a giant turtle in Balinese mythology who brought the whole world on his back. In the creation mythology of the world, it represents a change from Antaboga. He along with two dragons support the human world. If he moves, there will be earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on earth.
Makara is a water reptile (it is always a crocodile) that appears as the vahana (mount) of several water deities, among them the river goddesses Ganga and Narmada, and Varuna when shown as the sea god. Huhu is the crocodile in the legend of the Gajendra Moksha.
Sarpa
Antaboga is the world serpent of traditional Javanese mythology. It is a derivative from the Hindu Shesha combined with Javanese animism. Gogaji also known as Jahar Vira Gogga is a folk god, worshiped in the northern states of India. He is a warrior hero of the region, venerated as a saint and a snake god. He is worshiped as a warrior god amongst Hindus. Ketu is the severed body of an asura called Svarbhānu, that swallows the moon causing lunar eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no head riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Nagnechiya Mata (Nagnechia Maa, Nagnechia Madha), a snake goddess, is the kuladevi of the Rathore clan, a Suryavanshi Rajput clan of India, as well as Brahmabhatas (who are also Vaitalika Kaumudika Brahmins), Patanjali is a snake footed rishi (sage) who is an incarnation of Shesha. Rahu is the severed head of an asura called Svarbhānu, that swallows the sun causing solar eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Vritra (Ahi) is a serpent (dragon), the demon of drought and the adversary of Indra killed along with his killed younger brother Vala by his Vajra upon his elephant mount Airavata.
Nāgas
The Naga is an entity or a being, taking the form of a very great snake — specifically the king cobra. A female nāga is a nāgī or nāgiṇī. Notable nagas: Astika is half-Brahmin and half-Nāga, the son of Manasa and Jaratkaru. Kaliya, a snake tamed by Krishna. Karkotaka controls the universal weather. Manasā, also Manasa Devi, is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes, the sister of Vasuki and his siblings and wife of sage Jagatkāru (Jaratkāru) and the mother of Astika. Paravataksha, he for whom his sword causes earthquakes and his roar causes thunder. Surasa is a Hindu goddess, who is the mother of the Uragas (serpents who are actually snakes). Susna is a horned serpent-demon who aids the Asuras in their war against the Devas. The serpent also guards the essence of Amrita in its stomach. Susna is also associated with drought and he got defeated and the Amrita went to the Devas who killed the Asuras and he was kept by the Nagas. Shesha is the Nāgaraja or the king of all the nāgas in the world. The snake on whom Vishnu is in yoga nidra (Ananta Sayana).Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.1.24 Takshaka is mentioned as a king of the Nagas. Ulupi, the wife of Arjuna in the epic Mahabharata. Vasuki is a Nāgaraja, one of the kings of the serpents, who coils over Shiva's neck.Bhāgavata Purāṇa 3.26.25
Pannaga
A race related to the Nagas and Uragas, born of Kadru, sister of Surasa.
Uraga
A race related to the Nagas and Pannagas, born of Surasa, sister of Kadru.
Pakshin Byangoma (feminine Byangomi) are legendary birds of Bengali mythology, appearing most notably in the fairytales of Thakurmar Jhuli, where they are portrayed as wise, fortune-telling birds that help the deserving. Gandabherunda (also known as the Bherunda) is a two-headed mythological bird of Hindu beliefs thought to possess magical strength. Homa Pakshi (a Vedic bird). It lays eggs while flying in the sky and then the egg will fall. As it is falling, a bird will hatch from the egg. The hatchling then learns how to fly without touching the earth.
Baka Bagala - A crane-headed god in Hindu legend, Bagala controls black magic, poisons and disguised forms of death. Krauncha - A crane mentioned in the Ramayana. Nadijangha - The name of a crane, who was liked by Brahma very much. His story was told by Bhishma to Yudhishtira. Gṛdha
Vultures who were the sons of Aruna, brother of Garuda. Sampati, the King of Vultures, was the oldest son of Aruṇa and a brother of Jatayu. Jatayu is the youngest son of Aruna, brother of Sampati.
Haṁsa
The hamsa (Sanskrit: हंस, haṃsa or hansa) is an aquatic bird of passage, which is a swan. Its icon is used in Indian culture and Southeast Asian culture as a spiritual symbol and as a decorative element. Hamsa is a part of the mythical love story of Nala and Damayanti. The hamsa is the vahana of Brahma & Saraswati. Arayannas, or heavenly hamsad (swans), are said to live in Lake Manasarovar in the Himalayas.
Kāka Chanda, a crow, is the father of Bhusunda and his twenty brothers (Bhusunda and his brothers were born from the union of Chanda and the seven swans of the Goddess Brahmi). Kaagapujandar or Kakabhushundi is a very old sage, in the form of a crow. In the Story of Bhusunda, a chapter of the Yoga Vasishtha, Bhusunda recalls a succession of epochs in the earth's history, as described in Hindu cosmology. He survived several destructions, living on a wish-fulfilling tree on Mount Meru.
Kukkuṭaśāva Krichi is the rooster of Kartikeya, depicted on his war flag, the Cock flag.
Mayura
Citramekhala is the peacock of Saraswati, the goddess of learning and wisdom. Paravani is the peacock vahana of Kartikeya, the god of war and victory.
Sarngika Jarita was a certain female bird of the species called Sarngika. She was wife of the saint Mandapala.
Shuka Suka - The parrot vahana of Kamadeva Shuka - The parrot of Kalki
Shyena
Shyena (Sanskrit: श्येन ) is the divine hawk identified with Agni, who ascends to heaven for bringing soma (nectar) to earth with the intention of rejuvenating and revitalizing of all things that exist on earth.
Suparna
The Garuda is a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird. Garuda is the mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. According to the Mahabharata, Garuda had six sons from whom were descended the race of birds. Sumukha Suvarna Subala Sunama Sunetra Suvarcha
Tittiri Chakora, a kind of partridge, is a legendary bird described in Hindu faiths. It is believed to reside upon the beams of the moon, that is, the Chandra. Kapinjala, a species of wild partridge associated with Indra, and also a form of Indra as this particular bird race.
Uluka Pravirakarna is a Chiranjivi owl who lives in the Himalayas. Uluka - The owl of Lakshmi.
Mushika Mushika - the rat mount of Ganesha. Ganesha is very careful about his mount Mushika and also his safety.
Gaja or Hastin
Erawan (Thai: เอราวัณ, from Pāḷi Erāvana, or Sanskrit Airāvana) is the Thai version of Airavata. He is depicted as a huge elephant with either three or sometimes thirty-three heads which are often shown with more than two tusks. Gajamina, Gadjamina, Gajah Minah, or Eon is an elephant headed mythical figure with the body of a fish used for Patulangan sarcophagi in Bali. The Gajasimha is a mythical animal with the body of a lion and the head of an elephant. At Angkor, it is portrayed as a guardian of temples and as a mount for some warriors. Gajasura is an elephant demon killed by Shiva, in his Gajasurasamhara form. Gajendra the elephant, who was the Pandya king Indradyumna was rescued and had his mortal coil destroyed and liberated by Vishnu from the clutches of Huhu, the crocodile by beheading and liberating him through his Sudarshana Chakra as a Gandharva in the legend of the Gajendra Moksha. Ganesha also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, the elephant headed God. Iravati is a daughter of Kadru and Kashyapa. She is the mother of Airavata, the mount of Indra. She is also associated with a sacred river. In a tale about Ganesha's birth, the elephant-headed demoness Malini surrogately gives birth to Ganesha after drinking the bathwaters of Parvati, Ganesha's biological mother. In Hindu beliefs there were three elephants by the name Supratika. The foremost among them is listed as one of the Diggajas, each representing the eight quarters. The Hindu epic Mahabharata describes two more elephants by the same name – a mythical elephant that was an incarnation of a sage, and the one that belonged to Bhagadatta, the king of Pragjyotisha. Vinayaki is an elephant-headed Hindu goddess, a Matrika. The goddess is generally associated with the elephant-headed god of wisdom, Ganesha.
Diggajas
The Amarakosha, a thesaurus of Sanskrit, mentions the names of eight male elephants, and their respective consorts, that bear the world together. Airavata is a mythological white elephant who carries the Hindu God Indra. He also represents the Eastern direction, the quarter of Indra. Abhramu is the consort of Airavata. Pundarika, carries the Hindu god Agni. He represents the Southeast. Kapila is the consort of Pundarika. Vamana and his mate Pingala guard the South with Yama. Kumunda (Southwest) and his mate Anupama, with the god Nirṛti. Anjana and his mate Añjanā guards the West with the god Varuna. Pushpadanta and his mate Subhadanti guards the Northwest with the god Vayu. Sarvabhauma represents the North, the quarter of Kubera. His mate is Tāmrakarna. Supratika represents the Northeast direction, the quarter of Ishana. Anjanavati is believed to be the wife of Supratika. Four names are given in the Ramayana 1.41: Virupaksha - East Mahapadma - South Saumanasa - West Bhadra - North
Kapi Kapi is a form of monkey, which is the monkey god Hanuman himself, as may be seen in the lines of the devotional hymn Hanuman Chalisa: "" ("Victory to the Lord who is supreme among the monkeys, The light of the three worlds ...") [Emphasis added.].
Vanara The Vanaras are the monkey race in the Ramayana. The following are notable Vanaras. Angada, son of Vali, helped Rama find his wife Sita. Anjana, Hanuman's mother. Hanuman is a monkey god and an ardent devotee of the god Rama. Kesari, Hanuman's biological father. Makaradhwaja is the son of Hanuman as per the Valmiki Ramayana. Nala, son of Vishvakarma. Nila, son of Agni. Rumā was the wife of Sugrīva. Sugriva, king of Kishkindha, son of Surya. Tara, wife of Vali. Vali, Sugriva's brother, and a son of Indra.
Varāha