Kama or Kamadeva is the Hindu deity of love, who is usually represented as a handsome and beautiful man. Kama Deva literally means 'divine love' or 'god of love'. He is known by several names like Ragavrinta, Ananga, Kandarpa, Manmatha, Manasija, Madana, Ratikanta, Pushpavan, Pushpadhanva or simply Kama. In a hymn in the Atharva Veda, he is described as the god of sexual love. The story of the birth of Kamadeva is told differently in several mythological Puranas. In some stories, Kamadeva is said to be the son of lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi and in others he is said to be the mind born son of Lord Brahma. He is also the husband of Rati, the Goddess of Beauty, and is also said to be an incarnation of Pradyumna, a son of Krishna by Rukmini. The vaishnavites believe that he is Krishna himself. The basis of the story is that after Kamadeva was burned to ashes by Shiva because of his anger the cupid god merged into the body of Vasudeva Krishna and in order to get his body again he was placed in the womb of Rukmini.
Kamadeva is the most handsome and ever youthful god, who rides on a parrot. He carries a bow made of sugar-cane and strung with a line of humming-bees, and with it shoots five shafts of desire, which are tipped with flowers. He is accompanied by his wife, Rati (passion) and friend, Vasanta (spring), who strings his bow and selects for him the shaft tipped with the flower considered suitable for the current victim. He is surrounded beautiful nymphs (Apsaras) of whom he is lord.
Kamadeva loves to roam abroad amuse himself by inspiring passion in those he sees about him, and he is quite frivolous in the use he makes of his powers. According to one account, which makes him the son of Brahma, he had no sooner been than he shot one of his arrows at his father, thus causing him to co incest with his daughter and incidentally to lose one of his heads at the hand of lord Shiva. Gods as well as mortals have been victims of Kama. He loves to wander about, especially in spring time. Kamadeva himself suffered most on one occasion when he hesitated to use his power. Shiva burnt him to ashes as a punishment for interrupting his deep meditation but, despite Shiva's protests, the shaft had done its work and Shiva was unable to obtain peace until he married Parvati. During all this time Kama lay dead and love disappeared from the earth, which became an arid desert. At length the gods approached Shiva, who agreed to allow Kama to be reborn as Pradyumna, son of Krishna and Rukmini, and he was ultimately reunited with Rati, who had pleaded for him through Parvati. All paintings are courtesy of Art of Legend India. 
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