Brahma one of the three principal Hindu gods. He is better known as 'Prajapati', the creator of the universe. His earliest mention is found in the Rg Veda and other literatures of the Vedic epoch. He is one of the priests of the Vedic sacrifices. Brahma is usually imagined as having four faces and four arms and is depicted riding a duck. He possesses a fine physique and his skin has a crimson glow. He carries a water-pot, a garland, a pot of ghee or a book and a rosary. He is believed to have emerged from the lotus-shaped navel of vishnu. Brahma presides over marriages and a pregnant woman's lying-in room. He is also worshipped on the sasthi, the sixth day of a child's birth, and before building a house. [Suresh Chandra Banerjee]