India is a very diverse country and religion is very deeply rooted among the people of India. People can find temples and deities in each corner of Indian streets, houses, and buildings. The number of deity’s Indian worships is very large and very few people can list all the name of deities. Here we are discussing some interesting facts about the Indian gods or deities.
Hinduism is the main religion of India. And according to different scriptures of Hinduism, the number of deities varies. According to yogic science, there is only one god Brahman or Atma. Vedas describes that there are about 33 gods but when we come down to Upanishads and Puranas, the number stands to 33 crore deities.
The 33 gods according to the Vedas
The 33 gods according to the Vedas are – Eight Vasus (Dyauṣ, Pṛthivi, Vayu, Agni, Nakṣatra, Antarikṣa, Surya, Chandra); Twelve Adityas (Vishnu, Aryaman, Indra, Tvaṣṭṛ, Varuṇa, Bhaga, Savitṛ, Vivasvat, Aṃsa, Mitra, Puṣan, Dakṣa); Eleven Rudras (Ananda, Jnana, Manas, Praṇa, Vac, Īśāna, Tatpuruṣa, Aghora, Vāmadeva, Sadyojāta, Atma); Two Aswins.
The three most referred devas according to Hinduism are Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu. Together they are called as Tridev. But in Rig Veda, the most referred three gods are Indra, Agni, and Surya.
Temples can be found in each corner of streets in India.
But there are some unusual temples with unusual gods. In Ravangram of Madhya, there is a temple of Ravana and people worship Ravana. Even Duryodhana is worshiped in India. A temple is dedicated to Duryodhana in Poruvazhy, Kerala. In Manali, there is a temple dedicated to Hidimba, wife of Bhima.
Generally, gods are known for their goodness but there are some Indian gods who are known for their anger and destructive powers – Kali, Shani, Mansa, Shiva.
Though Brahma is one of the trinity of Hinduism. There are only a few temples dedicated to him. Only famous temple of Brahma is situated in Pushkar, Rajasthan.
Tantra is one of the traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. In this tradition ten goddesses are worshiped – Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamala. Together these ten goddesses represent the Adi Parashakti.
Vishnu is regarded as the preserver of the world. According to texts, he descends on earth in different forms known as avatars to save the world. There are ten avatars of Vishnu – Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki.
Shiva is one of most revered god in India. According to different Hindu texts, Shiva has 64 forms. Some of the forms are – Rudra, Linga, Ardanarishvara, Gangavisarjana, Tripurantaka, Bhairav, Kiratha Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati are the most revered device or goddesses in India. Together they are called as Tridevi. Saraswati is the goddess of learning, Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and Parvati is the goddess of power.
One of the most celebrated gods in India is Hanuman or Bajrangbali. He is known for his strength and his devotion to Ram. The famous poet Tulsidas’s Hanuman Chalisa (Devotional Hymn) is famous among the devotees of Hanuman.
Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati is also one of the most revered gods in India. It is accustomed to worship Ganesha before any puja or rituals. Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles.
In India, Yamraj is considered as the god of death. Yamraj is the brother of Shani Dev. There is a temple of Yamraj in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. It is believed that every person must visit the temple after his death. It is the home of the god Yamraj.
