Indrani

Indrani (Sanskrit: इन्द्राणी, IAST: Indrāṇī), also known as Shachi (Sanskrit: शची, IAST: Śacī) and Paulomi (Sanskrit: पौलोमी, IAST: Paulomī), is the queen of the devas in Hinduism. Described as tantalisingly beautiful, proud and kind, she is the daughter of the asura Puloman and the consort of the king of the devas, Indra. According to legend, due to her heavenly beauty and sensuality, Indrani was desired by many men, many of whom tried to marry her. When Indra was away performing his penance for the slaying of Vritasura, Nahusha, a mortal king of the Lunar dynasty, was chosen as the ruler of the heaven. The latter tried to seduce Shachi and make her his queen, though she cleverly executed a scheme to dethrone him and later reunite with her husband. Indrani (or Aindri) is also one of the Sapta Matrikas—the seven divine mothers. She is an important goddess in Shaktism, a major sect of Hinduism. Indrani is rarely worshipped as an independent deity and is most often worshipped with Indra throughout India. She is also a goddess in Jainism and Buddhism, mentioned in their texts.