Hindu Mythology of Orion's Belt (Usha, Aniruddha, and Chitralekha)

Orion refers to a prominent constellation (a group of fixed stars) visible to the naked eye. It is named after a hunter in Greek mythology and is easily recognizable due to its distinctive shape and bright stars, such as Betelgeuse and Rigel. Whereas Orion's Belt is a pattern in the constellation of Orion. This belt consists of three bright stars—Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka—aligned in a straight line, making it one of the most identifiable features in the night sky. Many cultures have their own interpretations of Orion's Belt, often associating them with various myths and legends. In this article, the Orion's Belt is connected to a Hindu mythology.

Sanskrit	Tamil Name	Star Name	Constellation	Position
Uṣā	உஷா	Alnitak	Zeta (ζ) Orion	0°49’
Aniruddha	அனிருத்தா	Alnilam	Epsilon (ε) Orion	29°36’
Citralekhā	சித்ரலேகா	Mintaka	Delta (δ) Orion	28°30’

The Orion's Belt is seen in the image above, which is associated with Greek mythology. The hourglass silhouette of the Hunter is outlined by the seven brightest stars in Orion. The head is marked by Meissa (λ Ori), the shoulders by Betelgeuse (α Ori) and Bellatrix (γ Ori), the belt by Alnitak (ζ Ori), the belt by Alnilam (ε Ori) and Mintaka (δ Ori), and the knees or feet by Saiph (κ Ori) and Rigel (β Ori).

A portrait painting of the Orion's Belt is shown in the above image. According Hindu mythology, Orion is commonly known as Mrigashira, which translates to "the deer's head." Moreover, the constellation's central star is known as Kalpurush, which translates to "time personified." This constellation symbolizes the head of the deer that Lord Shiva, one of the main Hindu gods, slaughtered. It is thought that Lord Shiva killed the deer to preserve his focus when Lord Brahma sent it to interfere with his meditation.

In Hindu mythology, the story of Usha, Aniruddha, and Chitralekha involves a princess who falls in love with a prince after seeing him in a dream, with Chitralekha, Usha's friend, playing a crucial role in facilitating their union. A more detailed breakdown as follows, Usha — the daughter of the demon king Banasura, dreams of a handsome prince, Aniruddha, and falls in love with him; Aniruddha — the grandson of lord Krishna; and Chitralekha — Usha's friend, is skilled in painting and yoga, and she uses her abilities to help Usha find and meet Aniruddha. The brief story is that—Usha, upset after her dream, confides in Chitralekha, who uses her artistic skills to create portraits of various princes, but Usha doesn't recognize any of them as the man from her dream. Chitralekha, with her yogic powers, travels to Dwaraka (Krishna's city) and abducts Aniruddha, bringing him to Usha's palace. Usha and Aniruddha fall in love and live happily together, but their secret union is eventually discovered, leading to a war between Krishna and Banasura. Krishna and his army invade Banasura's capital and carry away the couple.