Deities
Who they are, what their forms and symbols mean, and how they are worshipped.
Devi: Durga, Parvati and Shakti
The Divine Mother, gentle as Parvati and invincible as Durga, the power behind all that moves
Devi, the Goddess, is worshipped as Shakti, the divine power that creates, sustains and protects the universe. As Parvati she is the loving consort of Shiva and mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya; as Durga she rides a lion and destroys the buffalo-demon Mahishasura; as Kali she is fierce time itself. For the Shakta tradition she is the Supreme Being, and her great scripture is the Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati).
Lord Ganesha
Vighnaharta, the elephant-headed remover of obstacles who is worshipped first of all
Ganesha, also called Ganapati and Vinayaka, is the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati and the lord of beginnings, wisdom and the removal of obstacles. Hindus invoke him first, before any puja, journey, wedding or new venture. He is loved for his modakas and his mouse vahana, and his great festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, is celebrated across India and the world.
Lord Hanuman
Rama's messenger and greatest devotee: strength, wisdom and humility in one
Hanuman is the mighty vanara devotee of Lord Rama, son of Anjana and the wind god Vayu, and a hero of the Ramayana who leapt across the ocean to find Sita. He is worshipped as Sankat Mochan, the remover of distress, and as the model of selfless service and devotion. Tuesday and Saturday are his days, and the Hanuman Chalisa of Goswami Tulsidas is among the most recited prayers in India.
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Lord Krishna
The flute-playing cowherd of Vrindavan and teacher of the Bhagavad Gita
Krishna is the eighth avatar of Vishnu and, for many Vaishnava traditions, the Supreme Lord himself. He is loved as the mischievous child of Gokul, the flute-playing beloved of Radha and the gopis in Vrindavan, the king of Dwarka, and the charioteer who spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. His birth is celebrated as Janmashtami.
Goddess Lakshmi
Shri, the lotus-born goddess of prosperity, grace and auspiciousness
Lakshmi, also called Shri, is the goddess of wealth, prosperity, beauty and good fortune, and the eternal consort of Vishnu. According to the Puranas she rose from the ocean of milk when it was churned, seated on a lotus. She is worshipped above all on Diwali, and devotees understand her blessings to include not only money but health, harvest, courage, knowledge and a happy home.
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Lord Rama
Maryada Purushottam: the prince of Ayodhya who showed what a life of dharma looks like
Rama, or Ramachandra, is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana. Born a prince of Ayodhya, he accepted fourteen years of exile to keep his father's word, rescued Sita from Ravana with the help of Hanuman, and ruled with such justice that 'Ram Rajya' still means an ideal kingdom. He is worshipped as Maryada Purushottam, the perfect upholder of dharma, and his name is itself a mantra.
Goddess Saraswati
Vagdevi, the white-robed goddess of knowledge, speech, music and the arts
Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, speech, music and the arts. First praised in the Rigveda as a mighty river and goddess, she became identified with Vac, the goddess of speech, and with the wisdom of the Vedas. Dressed in white and seated on a white lotus with her veena, book and swan, she is worshipped by students, scholars and artists, above all on Vasant Panchami.
Lord Shiva
Mahadeva, the auspicious one who dances creation into being and dissolves it again
Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism, worshipped as Mahadeva, the 'great god'. In the Trimurti he is the dissolver who clears the way for renewal, while for Shaiva devotees he is the Supreme Being himself. He is worshipped above all as the Shivalinga, and his devotees know him as gentle Bholenath, the ascetic of Kailash, and Nataraja, the cosmic dancer.
Surya, the Sun God
The visible god who rides a seven-horsed chariot and gives light, life and health
Surya is the Sun worshipped as a god, the 'pratyaksha devata' whom everyone can see. Praised in the Rigveda and invoked daily in the Gayatri mantra, he rides across the sky in a chariot drawn by seven horses with Aruna, the dawn, as charioteer. He is the chief of the nine planets (Navagraha), father of Yama, Yamuna and Shani, and is honoured on Sundays, at Makar Sankranti and above all at Chhath Puja.
Lord Vishnu
The all-pervading preserver who rests on the cosmic ocean and descends whenever dharma falters
Vishnu is the preserver in the Hindu Trimurti and, for the Vaishnava traditions, the Supreme Lord himself, known as Narayana and Hari. He sustains the universe and, according to the scriptures, descends to earth as avatars such as Rama and Krishna to restore dharma. He is shown four-armed and dark as a rain cloud, holding conch, discus, mace and lotus, with Lakshmi as his consort and Garuda as his mount.