The Guardians of the Directions are a group of divinities who protect the directions.
A group of eight gods, each of whom is linked to one of the
four cardinal and intermediate directions.
Indra is the god of the east, Agni is the god of the
southeast, Yama is the god of the south, Nirriti is the god of the southwest,
Varuna is the god of the west, Vayu is the god of the northwest, Kubera is the
god of the north, and Shiva is the god of the northeast.
The majority of them are deities from the Vedas, the oldest
Hindu holy writings.
They were superseded, with the exception of Shiva, as
customs altered, and are now minor deities in current Hindu religious life.
The directions with which these eight deities are affiliated
are protected by them.
Because of its ruling god, each direction has its own set of
connections.
Because it is linked with Yama, the deity of death, the direction south is often considered unlucky.
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