Depicted as the most handsome and desirable man among the deities, Kaamdev is often considered the Indian Cupid. He rides a parrot and carries a bow of sugarcane that is strung with a line of honeybees along with floral arrowheads. As he strikes with his arrows, no man, or even God at times, can escape the arousal of passionate desire. This season of love, we bring a few things that you probably didn’t know about the God of love and desire.

The one time Kaamdev’s arrows failed

He was the man who could ignite desire in any soul be it mortal or divine. However, when Kaamdev challenged Krishna to call out for the Gopis of Vrindavan on a full moon night and stay unaffected when struck by arrow, Krishna accepted.

This was a time when Kaamdev was clouded with pride, thinking of himself as the greatest God of all. On a moonlit night cool breeze blew from the Yamuna and thousands of Gopis left their work at home and ran to the direction of Krishna’s flute. However, flanked by young women, Krishna remained unaffected, forcing Kaamdev to accept defeat.