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Revanta or Raivata (Sanskrit: रेवन्त, lit. "brilliant") is a minor Hinduism deity. According to the Rig-Veda, Revanta is the youngest son of the sun-god Surya, and his wife Saranyu.
Revanta is chief of the Guhyakas, supernatural beings – like the Yakshas – who are believed to live as forest dwellers in the Himalayas. Monier-Williams Dictionary: Revanta Monier-Williams Dictionary:Guhyaka
Images and sculptures of Revanta often show him as a huntsman on a horse, with a bow and arrow. The worship of Revanta was especially common in medieval Eastern India (Bihar and Bengal) with many archaeological finds indicating the existence of a cult dedicated to him that began in the 6th century A.D.
The Markandeya Purana further adds he was assigned the duty as chief of Guhyakas by Surya and to protect mortals "amid the terrors of forests and other lonely places, of great conflagration, of enemies and robbers." Sometimes, Revanta is depicted as combating robbers in reliefs..
Another tale from the Devi Bhagavata Purana has a passing reference to Revanta. Once when Revanta – riding on the seven headed horse Uchaishravas – went to Vishnu's abode, Vishnu's wife Lakshmi was mesmerized with the horse (her brother, as they were both born from the Ocean of Milk) and ignored a question asked by Vishnu. Thus, she was cursed by her husband to become a mare..
In sculpture, Revanta is often depicted with the Guhyakas, whose chief he is, in scenes of hunting. Apart from the attributes described in texts like the sword, bow; he sometimes also carries a cup of wine in his hand. Revanta is often depicted wearing long Boot reaching up to the calves, unlike other Hindu divinities – except Surya – who are depicted barefoot.. Revanta is depicted seated on a horse and accompanied by a hunting dog. Revanta's attendants are depicted with various hunting weapons like lances and swords. Some of them are shown blowing a conch or beaming or holding an umbrella over the head of their lord, the umbrella being the symbol of royalty. A History of Zoroastrianism by Mary Boyce, Frantz Grenet, Roger Beck pp.485-6 Also, some of them are depicted as flying or holding wine or water jars. Sometimes, an attendant carries a dead boar in his shoulder or the dog chasing a boar.
The worship of Revanta was popular in the early-medieval period, particularly in Rajasthan. Revanta is mostly depicted in Vaishnava and Surya temples. There is a stone inscription that talks about a temple to Revanta, as the principal deity, in Vikranapur (modern Kotgaph, Madhya Pradesh) built by the Kalachuri king Ratnadeva II.
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