In Hindu mythology, Aja was the 68th king in the Solar Dynasty, descent from the sun god Surya. He was the son of king Raghu , one of the most famous kings of the Ikshvaku dynasty. His paternal grandfather was the pious king Dileepa. He ruled the kingdom of Kosala on the southern banks of the river Sarayu, with Ayodhya as his capital. His wife Indumati, was the princess of Vidarbha (King Bhoja's younger sister) and his son was Dasharatha, father of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu. Indumati used to be an apsara, a celestial damsel named Harini in her previous birth. Once Lord Indra growing apprehensive of the rigorous penance practiced by Sage sent her against him for disrupting his penance. She by exhibiting in front of him her attractive flirtation succeeded in interrupting his penance as a result of which the enraged sage cursed her to be born as a mortal woman on the earth and remain there till she beholds celestial flower on the earth. In due course, she was born as a princess of Vidarbha and chose king Aja as her husband in her Sawamvayara. Soon Dasharatha was born to them, however, her time on earth comes near to end. Once, while sage Narada was traversing the sky, garland from his Veena fell on Indumati, redeeming her from the curse. Regaining the form of apsara, she vanished from the earth leaving Aja. King Dasharatha was only eight months old when Harini died. Aja was so grief-stricken when his wife died that he lived with the grief for many years. Though he was in grief, he executed his King activites wisely. After Dasharatha grew up to youthful age, Aja Maharaj crowned him as the king. Meanwhile Aja's body caught up with various diseases due to long years of grief and depression. He left the kingdom to a place near Sarayu and Ganga rivers intersection and decided to leave his body through Prayopavesa. After his death, he stayed in heaven to spend his days with apsara Harini.