Earth is regarded as a deity in Hindu mythology.
One of the most deeply ingrained components of Hindu culture is the belief that India is a holy territory, and many of India's mountains, rivers, and other physical features are regarded gods and goddesses.
This faith extends to the planet itself.
Earth is depicted as the goddess Prthivi in the Vedas, the earliest Hindu holy writings, who is praised for her fertility, nurturing ability, and firmness in maintaining all things.
Prthivi is nearly invariably identified with Dyaus, a masculine deity associated with the sky whose name is a cognate version of Zeus in Greek mythology.
The divine pair is thus formed, with the sky's rain feeding and revitalizing the land.
In later mythology, the goddess Bhudevi ("Earth Goddess"), who is said to be one of the deity Vishnu's brides, takes the place of Prthivi.
Bhudevi is less often associated with fertility and parenting; her major role is to serve as a supplicant for Vishnu's world-saving activities.
Earth calls out to Vishnu for aid when the wicked grow oppressive or a demon gets too strong and disturbs the cosmic order, and Vishnu obligingly restores the cosmic equilibrium.
The Boar avatar is an example of this, in which Vishnu frees Earth from her enslavement.
See David R. Kinsley's Hindu Goddesses, 1986, for further details.
The Earth is also one of the five elements in ancient Indian cosmology, the others being water, fire, wind, and akasha in their tangible form.
Each of the elements is related with one of the five senses in certain philosophical traditions; in this example, earth is associated with scent.
Earth is also linked to a number of body activities, including the disposal of solid wastes.
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