| Gods & Goddesses of the Hindu Peoples. |
| ADITI Mother goddess. Her name means "limitless" and she was self-formed. Mother to the sun and moon gods as well as the Adityas (the twelve gods of the months). AGNI God of fire who is present in all things as the essence of life. Agni was a well-loved deity as he was the god of the hearth and provided the gift of fire to all. ANNAPURNA Goddess of food production. ANUMATI Goddess of the waning moon. ANURADHA Goddess of good fortune. ARANYANI Goddess of the woodland. ARDRA Goddess of misfortune. AYYAPAN God of growth. BALARAMA God of agriculture and physical strength. BHAGA God of properity and wealth. The patron of marriage. BRAHMA The senior member of the triad of the Great Gods which consisted of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He is the creator God who permeates all things. He symbolises the universal mind as well as individual intellect. BRIHASPATI The lord of prayer in Hindu mythology and a priest to the gods. CHAMA God of young love. CHANDIKA Goddess of young love. CHANDRA God of the Moon. He was white in colour and drove the chariot of the Moon across the sky. He was also a fertility god and couples would pray to him if they needed help in conception. CHITRAGUPTRA Records the deeds of men. He decides if the deceased go to heaven or hell. DANU Goddess of the primordial waters. DEVAKI A mother goddess. DEVI The mother goddess. Devi has many forms such as the warrior Durgha, the destroyer Kali or the gentle Parvati. She is the mother of all and holds joy and pain in her right hand and life and death in her left hand. She is the goddess of life and nature. DHANVANTARI The physician of the gods. He was originally a sun god, then taught medicine to mankind. DITI Goddess of the earth. DURGHA The warrior aspect of Devi. Portrayed as an armed woman riding on a tiger. GANESHA "Lord of the Hosts". The god of wisdom, prudence and learning, he is symbolic of prosperity and good fortune. He is portrayed as an elephant headed man with a pot-belly. He is usually dressed in red or yellow. IDA Goddess of prayer and devotion. INDRA In Vedic times, he was the supreme ruler of the Gods. Indra was the god of war, storms and thunder. He was sometimes associated with the sun and the creation of the universe. INDRANI Indra's consort, the goddess of wrath. KALI "The black one". An earth goddess which represents the dark, destructive aspects of the goddess. She has a very fierce appearance with four (sometimes more) arms and wears a belt of severed heads and one of severed arms. Kali has many diverse aspects and representations. KAMA God of love. LAKSHMI Goddess of good fortune and beauty. She arose from the waves and is the consort of Vishnu. PARVATI One of the aspects of the consort of Shiva. A mountain goddess. PUSHAN God of wealth and fertility of cattle. A guide to travellers and the souls of the dead. RATI Goddess of sexual desire. RUDRA Ancient Vedic god of storms, wind and death. SARASVATI Goddess of the rivers, wealth and fertility. She is the patroness of learning and the sciences. SAVITAR The sun god. Drives the sun chariot across the sky. SHIVA The destroyer. However, he also has a regenerative aspect. Depicted as white with a blue throat. He has three eyes and several arms, carries a trident and often is shown riding a bull. TARA "Radiating". An aspect of the Mother goddess. Revered amongst Buddhists. TVASHTRI God of artisans and the crafts. VISHNU The preserver of the universe. He is present in all things and keeps the balance on Earth. He is depicted as being blue or black skinned with four arms. |
 |