In Indian mythology and folklore, vidyadharas are semi-divine beings, who live in the regions between earth and sky and possess magical powers, including the ability to fly and to change their appearance at will. Their name means ‘holder of knowledge’. They serve Indra, king of the gods, but have their own kings and chiefs. They are benevolent beings, and both vidyadharas and vidyadharis may marry humans or be friends with them. They are also called kamarupi, ‘changing shape at will’; khechar and nabhachar, ‘moving through the sky’; and priyamvada, ‘sweet-spoken’. Vidyadharas are not immortal.

They play a central part in the 11th century collection of stories, the Kathasaritsagara. In no other Indian text are they so important, though they are mentioned in the epics and occur in Jain and Buddhist tales. In the Kathasaritsagara, the vidyadhara Shaktivega explains that mortal men can become vidyadharas by the favour of Shiva, and that a vidyadhara is distinguished by the possession of supernatural knowledge, and other marks of divine favour such a sword, a garland, and so on. Towards the end of the Kathasaritsagara, its hero, Prince Naravahanadatta, attains the rank of vidyadhara by Shiva’s decree and upon the acquisition of certain ‘jewels’.