Urvashi is a celebrated apsara in the court of Indra, the king of Devas. Legend has it that she was created from thigh of Narayana. Uru means thigh and hence the name Urvashi. She was created to rival the beauty of other damsels in Indra’s court like Menaka, Rambha and Tilottama.
Indra, the king of the Devas, according to his innate character thought that Nara Narayana wanted to overthrow him and rule over the heaven. So he sent Apsaras (nymphs) to disturb the two saints with sexual passion. Seeing the Apsaras, Narayana placed a flower in his thigh and immediately sprung from it a voluptuous nymph whose charms far excelled those nymphs sent by Indra. Since this beautiful nymph came out of the thigh she was called Urvashi.
Due to a curse, Urvashi had to live on earth and here she married King Pururavas. (you can read the story here)
Another famous story associated with Urvashi is her desire to make love to Arjuna, the third of the Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata. (you can read the story here)
She is also associated with the birth of Rishyasringa Rishi. (you can read that story here)
She is also associated with the birth of Rishyasringa Rishi. (you can read that story here)