Devi & Devta
The magnificent pantheon of Hindu deities — stories, iconography, mantras, symbolism & sacred temples.
Lord Brahma
ब्रह्मा — The Creator
Brahma is the creator god of the Trimurti (Hindu trinity). He created the universe, the Vedas, and all living beings. Despite being the creator, he is the least worshipped of the three — only one major temple (Pushkar, Rajasthan) is dedicated to him. This is attributed to a curse by Saraswati or Shiva.
Lord Vishnu
विष्णु — The Preserver
Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the universe in the Trimurti. Whenever evil threatens cosmic order (dharma), Vishnu incarnates on earth as an avatar. His 10 avatars (Dashavatara) include Rama, Krishna, Narasimha, and Vamana. He rests on the cosmic serpent Shesha in the ocean of milk (Kshira Sagara).
Lord Shiva
शिव — The Destroyer and Transformer
Shiva is the destroyer and transformer in the Trimurti. He is also the supreme yogi, meditating eternally on Mount Kailash. Shiva represents the paradox of the divine: he is both the ascetic and the householder, the destroyer and the regenerator, the terrifying Rudra and the benevolent Shankara. He is Nataraja (king of dance), Mahadeva (great god), and Adiyogi (first yogi).
Lord Ganesha
गणेश — Remover of Obstacles, God of Beginnings
Ganesha is the elephant-headed god of wisdom, learning, and new beginnings. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati. EVERY Hindu puja begins with Ganesha worship — he must be invoked first to remove obstacles. He is the scribe of the Mahabharata — Vyasa dictated and Ganesha wrote with his broken tusk. He is the most worshipped deity across all Hindu traditions.
Lord Hanuman
हनुमान — The Mighty Devotee, Son of Vayu
Hanuman is the greatest devotee of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Shiva, and the son of Vayu (wind god). He is worshipped for strength, courage, devotion, and protection from evil. He is immortal (Chiranjeevi) and is believed to be present wherever the Ramayana is recited. The Hanuman Chalisa is one of the most recited prayers in Hinduism.
Lord Krishna
कृष्ण — The Supreme Personality, 8th Avatar of Vishnu
Krishna is the 8th avatar of Vishnu and one of the most beloved deities. He is worshipped as a playful child (Bal Krishna/Laddu Gopal), a romantic divine lover (with Radha), a supreme philosopher (delivering the Bhagavad Gita), and a statesman-warrior (in the Mahabharata). His life encompasses every human emotion and every aspect of dharma.
Goddess Lakshmi
लक्ष्मी — Goddess of Wealth, Fortune, and Prosperity
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, and grace. She is the consort of Vishnu and accompanies him in all his avatars (as Sita with Rama, Rukmini with Krishna). She is worshipped especially on Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) and every Friday. She represents both material and spiritual wealth.
Goddess Saraswati
सरस्वती — Goddess of Knowledge, Music, and the Arts
Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, learning, music, and the arts. She is the consort of Brahma. She is worshipped especially by students, teachers, artists, and musicians. Basant Panchami (January/February) is her festival day — children are taught to write their first letters on this day. She invented the Sanskrit language and all scripts.
Goddess Parvati
पार्वती — The Divine Mother, Consort of Shiva
Parvati is the goddess of fertility, love, devotion, and determination. She is the consort of Shiva and the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya. She represents the feminine creative power (Shakti) that activates Shiva. Without Shakti, Shiva is Shava (corpse). Parvati has fierce forms too — Durga (warrior), Kali (destroyer of evil), and Chandi.