page_title: Hindu cosmology
section_title: Fourteen lokas
hierarchical_section_title: Hindu cosmology / Creation and structure / Fourteen lokas
caption_attribution_description: English: The Higher Lokas as described in the Vedas under Vedic Cosmology
context_page_description: Hindu cosmology is the description of the universe and its states of matter, cycles within time, physical structure, and effects on living entities according to Hindu texts. Time is infinite with a cyclic universe, where the current universe was preceded and will be followed by an infinite number of universes.
  Each universe lasts for 4.32 billion years in a time period called a Kalpa or day of Brahma, where the universe is created at the start and destroyed at the end, only to be recreated at the start of the next Kalpa. A Kalpa is followed by an equal period of partial dissolution, when Brahma takes rest from his creative duties and the universe remains in an unmanifest state. Further divisions of time are a Manvantara, each with Chatur Yuga, each with four yugas: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga.
context_section_description: In the Brahmanda Purana, as well as Bhagavata Purana (2.5), fourteen lokas (planes) are described, consist of seven higher (Vyahrtis) and seven lower (Patalas) lokas.
  Satya-loka (Brahma-loka)
  Tapa-loka
  Jana-loka
  Mahar-loka
  Svar-loka (Svarga-loka or Indra-loka)
  Bhuvar-loka
  Bhu-loka (Earth plane)
  Atala-loka
  Vitala-loka
  Sutala-loka
  Talatala-loka
  Mahatala-loka
  Rasatala-loka
  Patala-loka
  However, other Puranas give different version of this cosmology and associated myths. The Puranas genre of Indian literature, found in Hinduism and Jainism, contain a section on cosmology and cosmogony as a requirement. There are dozens of different Mahapuranas and Upapuranas, each with its own theory integrated into a proposed human history consisting of solar and lunar dynasties. Some are similar to Indo-European creation myths, while others are novel. One cosmology, shared by Hindu, Buddhist and Jain texts involves Mount Meru, with stars and sun moving around it using Dhruva (North Star) as the focal reference. According to Annette Wilke and Oliver Moebus, the diversity of cosmology theories in Hinduism may reflect its tendency to not reject new ideas and empirical observations as they became available, but to adapt and integrate them creatively.
caption: Upper seven Lokas in Hindu Cosmology
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