Nala a character in Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom

Nishadha Kingdom

Nishadha was the kingdom of the celebrated king Nala, who loved and married Damayanti the princess of Vidarbha Kingdom. This kingdom is identified with current day Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh...

, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti

Damayanti

Damayanti , a character in Hindu mythology, was the princess of Vidarbha Kingdom, who married king Nala, of Nishadha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata.-The story:...

, of Vidarbha Kingdom

Vidarbha Kingdom

Vidarbha kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled by Yadava kings in the central and western India, in a region still known as Vidarbha. It was the southern most kingdom known to the kings of Gangatic Plain until they explored Southern India.Damayanti, the wife of Nala was the princess of...

, and their story is told in the Mahabharata

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

. His main weakness is gambling. He is possessed by the God Shani.

Story

Nala, also known as Nala Chakravarti (Nala the Emperor), was chosen by Damayanti as her husband in the swayamvara

Swayamvara

Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....

, a function in which the bride selects her husband from among the invitees, in preference to even the gods who came to marry her.

All separated. After undergoing many hardships, in spite of which Nala never deviated from the path of righteousness, he overcame the influence of Shani Dev and regained his kingdom by defeating Pushkara in a rematch. Nala and Damayanti were reunited and lived happily thereafter.

Shani Dev offered Nala a boon when he left him. Nala sought the boon that whoever read his story would not be unduly affected by the malefic effects of Shani Dev.