He is the guardian deity of the Himalayas, and finds mention in the epic Mahabharata and other Hindu scriptures.

[2] Various Hindu scriptures refer to the personification of the Himalayas by different names, and hence Himavat is also called Himavant (Sanskrit: हिमवन्त, lit.

Himavat fathered Ganga, the river goddess, as well as Ragini,[3] and Parvati, the second consort of Shiva.

[5] The sacred text of Devi Gita, which is found in the last nine chapters (31-40) of the seventh skandha of Devi-Bhagavata Purana, is a dialogue between Parvati and her father Himavat.

[6] Krishna once performed a tapasya on the peaks of the Himalayas to appease Himavat, which led to his eldest son, Pradyumna, being born to his favourite wife, Rukmini.