Who are 'Asvins' in Hindu mythology?

The Aśvins, or Ashwini Kumaras (aśvin, dual aśvinau; "horse possessors"; also spelled Ashvins), are twin Vedic gods of medicine in Hindu mythology. Associated with the dawn, they are described as youthful divine twin horsemen in the Rigveda ( first of the four Vedas), which form the basic texts of Hinduism), travelling in a chariot drawn by horses that are never weary. They are known for rescuing people and aiding them in various situations.

In the Rigveda, the Aśvins are always referred to in the dual and do not have individual names, although Vedic texts differentiate between the two Aśvins: "one of you is respected as the victorious Lord of Sumakha, and the other as the fortunate son of heaven" (RV 1.181.4). They are called several times divó nápātā, "grandsons of Dyaús (the sky-god)".

The Ashvins’ name derives from the Sanskrit asva or ‘horse’ and they are closely associated with that animal, sometimes even considered to have the bodies of men and the head of a horse, but as with many other Hindu deities, they have several alternative names too. These include Abdhijau (‘ocean born’), Badaveyau (after their father in some texts, Badava, underground fire), and Puskarasrajau (‘wreathed in lotuses’). The Ashvins are very rarely depicted in ancient Hindu art, but they do appear as figure sculptures on the 12th-century CE gopurams (monumental gates) at Chidambaram Temple in Tamilnadu.