Kaali Kaali Mata, also known as Mahakaali or Bhadrakaali is the goddess of ultimate power, war, time, and destruction of evil. Kaali Mata embodies Shakti, which is feminine energy and creativity. She is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva and represents the fiercest form of Shakti (energy). Her name originates from the Sanskrit word Kaal which means time. She is known for her dark blue colour and is depicted partially dressed, with a long tongue outside her mouth, four arms, with a sword in one hand and the head of a demon in another. The other two hands bless her worshippers. Her hair is usually long and free flowing. She has two dead heads for her earrings, a string of demon skulls that she has killed as a necklace, and a girdle made of human hands as her clothing. It is said that in a battle with the demons, when Goddess Parvati was angry, her wrathful avataar appeared in the form of Goddess Kaali and she beheaded as well as swallowed many demon heads. Hence, she is frequently depicted with weapons, skulls and blood-stained lips. Sometimes she is also seen wearing the tiger skin and with a trident and a sword. Kaali has 21 forms and all of them have the combination of the protector of good and the destroyer of evil and ego. There is another myth which talks of the birth of Kaali. It is said that she appeared from Lord Vishnu’s sleeping body – Yoga Nidra to wake him up when Lord Brahma approached him to help fight against two demons who were causing havoc. Goddess Kaali is usually pictured standing with her right foot on Lord Shiva who is lying beneath her. There is a famous legend around this which has the story of Raktabeej demon attached to it. Raktabeej was a very powerful demon who had a boon that he could duplicate himself whenever a drop of blood (rakta) fell on the earth. Due to this, he created havoc everywhere and could not be destroyed. Hence Shakti in the form of Goddess Durga was created to fight this demon. Whenever Shakti killed Raktabeej, multiple Raktabeej got formed and eventually a large army of Raktabeej got created. Enraged by this, Goddess Durga took form of Kaali Mata and killed the entire army as well as Raktabeej and drank all the blood. In the war, she forgot that she had slayed the demon and continued slaying everyone. Seeing this, Lord Shiva lay down among the corpses where Kaali Mata was dancing. And while dancing, she stepped on Lord Shiva by mistake. It is believed that her tongue came out at that time as she was embarrassed and ashamed that her blood hunger prevented her from recognizing her own husband. This also calmed her anger and she came back to her original form and stopped the world from destruction.   Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next

Brahma Lord Brahma is regarded as the creator of the universe. He is not only the creator of the world but is also regarded as the father of Dharma which is the correct way of living one’s life. Lord Brahma is commonly represented with a long white beard with a golden skin. He has four heads and four mouths which represent the four Vedas. He has four arms, but he does not carry any weapon in his hands. Instead, he has a jug and a spoon, a prayer book which denotes the holy scriptures, a bead necklace like a rosary and a lotus.  Lord Brahma’s creation is a famous myth. It is believed that Brahma self-created himself within a golden egg. He then went on to create Gods, demons, man, and animals. In his process of creation, Brahma first created the demons from his thigh and when he realized it, he abandoned his body which became night. He then went on to create the Gods and Goddesses and abandoned that part of the body too which became the Day. This is the myth which explains why demons come out at night and Gods rule during the day. Another birth myth says that Lord Brahma was born inside a lotus flower which originated from Lord Vishnu’s navel. The first man created by Lord Brahma was Manu. It is said that Lord Brahma initially had 5 heads. As he is known as the father of creation, after creating the world, he got proud of his achievement. He even got into an argument with Lord Vishnu that he was the most supreme God. When Lord Shiva came to the scene, he intervened and released a light and asked both Brahma and Vishnu to find it. While both the Gods were not able to trace the light, Vishnu told the truth to Shiva but Brahma lied and said that he found the light. The lie and the arrogance angered Lord Shiva who chopped one head off and cursed him that Lord Brahma will never be worshipped as a primary deity in all the worlds. There is one Brahma temple in Pushkar in Rajasthan. Lord Brahma’s consort is Goddess Saraswati. It is believed that Brahma created his 10 sons and 1 daughter using the power of his mind. The 10 sons were called Prajapatis. He is also the creator of the Vedas which are the most powerful scriptures of philosophy, religion and spiritual way of life. It is believed that he received this infinite knowledge from Lord Vishnu who asked him to cascade it in the world. Another legend believes that his immense knowledge and wisdom was achieved after “tapasya” or meditation of 100 years. Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next

Saraswati Goddess Saraswati is one of the Tridevi, along with Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Parvati. She is the Goddess of music, art, speech, knowledge, and wisdom. Saraswati is also known as the daughter of Shiva and Durga.   It is believed that Maa (mother) Saraswati was created by Lord Brahma to create order in the Universe. After creating the Universe, Lord Brahma realised that it was not formed properly. Goddess Saraswati emerged from his mouth and told him how to create order in the Universe. This is how the sun, moon, stars, oceans, seasons, etc. came into existence. Goddess Saraswati blesses humans with the power of speech and wisdom. Saraswati is usually depicted playing a string instrument called the Veena, which she uses to play music of love and life. She is generally shown in a white sari, sitting on a white lotus. Her four arms represent the four Vedas, holding a book, a mala, a water pot and the Veena. She rides on a white swan which symbolizes purity and discrimination. Maa Saraswati is also depicted as a river Goddess. Maa Saraswati’s birthday, Vasant Panchami, is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the fifth day of the fortnight of the lunar month of Magha. Devotees worship her during this time. There is a very famous legend where Goddess Saraswati obtained the Somras nectar from the Gandharvas, who were the demi-gods. These Gandharvas stole the immortal Soma plant so that they could also live forever. While the Gods were angry and wanted to fight and get back their plant, Goddess Saraswati walked into their garden and played her music. Hearing the melodies, the Gadharvas fell into a trance and were so mesmerized with the tunes that they begged the Goddess to teach them music. Saraswati said that she would teach them only if they would return the Soma plant. The desire to learn the music was so high, that the Gandharvas agreed to return the Soma plant to it’s rightful owners. That is how the Gods got back their Soma plant and the Gandharvas who learnt music from Goddess Saraswati became the celestial musicians whose skill could not be matched by many. Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next

Vishnu

Lakshmi Mata Lakshmi is one of the principal Goddesses in Indian mythology. She is the daughter of Maa Durga and the consort of Lord Vishnu. She is known as the Goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty and fertility. Whenever Lord Vishnu descended the Earth with one of his avataars, he was accompanied by an avataar of Goddess Lakshmi. Along with Goddesses Parvati and Saraswati, she forms the holy Tridevi of Hindu Goddesses. Lakshmi’s name is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘lakshya’, which means ‘aim’ or ‘goal’. Goddess Lakshmi is usually depicted as a beautiful and elegant woman of golden complexion, with four hands, sitting or standing on a full-bloomed lotus and holding a lotus. She is adorned with a lotus garland and has white elephants by her side. When she is shown along with Lord Vishnu, she is shown with two hands. Goddess Lakshmi’s birth legend starts with the meeting between Lord Indra and Sage Durvasa. When Lord Indra had come to meet the sage, he was welcomed and showered with flowers and garland. Lord Indra put the garland on his elephant- Airavat’s head which the elephant threw down. Enraged at this, he cursed Lord Indra due to which the heaven as well as earth started collapsing. Gods started losing their energy, humans started becoming greedy and due to this the demons invaded and captured the two worlds. The Gods rushed to Lord Vishnu for help who suggested the churning of the ocean to restore back the power to the Gods by drinking the immortal Amrit. This is how the churning of the ocean- Samudra Manthan started which was a tug of war between the demons and the Gods. During the churning of the ocean, emerged Goddess Lakshmi on a full-blown Lotus. The Gods drank the Amrit and defeated the demons and got their heaven- Swarg and Earth and restored peace and order in the Universe. It is also believed that Lord Vishnu who was present during the Samudra Manthan was impressed with the beauty of Goddess Lakshmi an asked her to marry him. The Goddess agreed immediately and married him.   It is also said that Goddess Lakshmi resides in the houses of people who have a good heart. In many villages and cities, it is said that Goddess Lakshmi is born when a girl-child is born in that house.  Devotees in India worship Goddess Lakshmi for her to grant wealth and success. During the festival of Diwali, devotees pay a tribute to Goddess Lakshmi by cleaning their homes, lighting lamps, doing rangoli, and doing Lakshmi Pooja and invite her to their homes to bless them with abundance, good luck, and prosperity. Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next

Shiva Lord Shiva is one of the 3 main Gods in Indian mythology and is one of the most powerful gods in the Hindu pantheon. He is a part of the holy trinity, along with Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu. He is known as the destroyer because he removes all the evil from the world. He is also considered to be a master of dance and regeneration. He is also known as the master of yoga and meditation. Shiva is known by many names. Some of them include Mahadeva, Adiyogi, Pashupati Nath, Nataraja, and Bhole Nath. In his Mahamritunjay avataar, he is said to be the conqueror of death. His Ardhanarishwar avataar is the best demonstration of half Shiva (the male) and half Shakti (the female). Lord Shiva is often depicted with his hair piled high on top of his head with a crescent tucked into it. The river Ganga, which is a heavenly river, originates from his matted hair. When Ganga started flowing on earth, she did not know how to control her flow and energy and if the speed and momentum would have remained, she would have drowned the earth. Hence Lord Shiva had to tie her around his hair so that the earth would not get flooded and she got to gently descend down from the Himalayas. This is how Shiva got the name Gangadhar. Because of his matted hair, he is also known as Jatadhatri Shiva. Lord Shiva holds a trident in his left hand and holds a ‘damroo’ (power drum) in his right hand. He wears the Rudraksha beads which is his favourite ornament and his whole body is smeared with ash. Rudraksha is also called as Shiva’s tears. Lord Shiva has a blue neck because according to one legend, he swallowed poison to save everyone in the universe. It is said that the poison was so powerful that only Shiva was able to consume it and nullify its harmful effect. Because of the blue throat, he is known as Neelkantha (neel means blue and kantha means throat). The serpent Vasuki is coiled around Lord Shiva’s neck. Lord Shiva has a third eye on his forehead and when he opens his third eye, he becomes the fiercest and everything gets burnt and turns into ashes. It is also believed that Lord Shiva’s weapon which is the Trishul was created by the master craftsman called Vishwakarma using the material from the Sun.   Lord Shiva resides in Mount Kailash on the Himalayas and is known as Adiyogi which means the first yogi. His wife is Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya are his sons. Lord Shiva is usually worshipped in the form of a linga. You will always find Lord Nandi (the bull) in every Shiva temple. There is a famous legend which talks of how at the start when the Universe was created, there was a huge pillar off endless light and energy which was the “linga” and it is said that the linga is a symbolic manifestation of Lord Shiva as his energy is also without any bounds and is infinite. The famous legend of how Lord Shiva chopped off Lord Ganesha’s neck is a story that is told to every child. While protecting and obeying his mother, Goddess Parvati’s instructions, Lord Ganesha did not allow anyone, including Lord Shiva to enter the bathing area where his mother was taking bath. This enraged Lord Shiva who did not know that Parvati had created Ganesha with her own maya and hence he was their son. In a fit of rage, Lord Shiva chopped off Ganesha’s neck with his trident. Once Parvati realized what had happened, she forced Shiva to bring back Ganesha to life and for that Shiva fixed the head of an elephant and brought back the obedient son to life. All the Gods then blessed Ganesha in his new avataar. Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next

Parvati Parvati is a benevolent Goddess of beauty, marriage, and fertility. She is also called Shakti and mother of the Universe. She is the daughter of Himalaya, the Lord of the mountains and wife of Lord Shiva. She won Lord Shiva’s heart through severe penance. Legend says that the Gods wanted Shiva to marry Parvati so that their first-born (Lord Kartikeya) would kill the demon Tarakasur, who was granted a boon by Lord Brahma that he would only be killed by Shiva’s son. Hence the Gods sent Parvati to Shiva who was lost in meditation. The love God, Kama Dev struck Shiva with his love arrow, but Shiva got disturbed in his meditation, and opened his third eye and burnt Kama Dev to ashes due to his anger. It is also believed that Goddess Parvati took 108 births until Lord Shiva noticed her dedication and agreed to marry her. Goddess Parvati is also said to be the reincarnation of Mata Sati, who is Lord Shiva’s first wife who immolated herself. Since her childhood, Sati loved Lord Shiva and was his ardent devotee. Despite her father, King Daksha’s unwillingness, Sati married Lord Shiva with Lord Brahma as the priest. King Daksha continued to dislike Lord Shiva and once when he conducted a Yagna (religious fire-ceremony), he invited all Gods except Lord Shiva. Sati Mata was very hurt at this rude gesture of her father and unable to bear the humiliation, she burnt herself to protest and show her anger. When Lord Shiva came to know this, he was furious and performed his destructive Tandav dance. He carried Sati Mata’s body around the world. He wanted to take Sati to Mount Kailash and all Gods knew that Lord Shiva’s anger would mean end of the world. To save the Universe, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra and cut Sati Mata’s body parts into 51 pieces which fell at 51 different places. These places are very sacred and of great religious significance and are called Shakti Peethas. Mata Parvati has two sons- Lord Kartikeya and Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha was created by performing a miraculous feat of creating a boy from her sandalwood paste and bringing him to life. Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next

Ganesha The son of Shiva and Parvati, the elephant God Ganesha is the God of success and knowledge. He is one of the most prevalent deities in the Hindu pantheon. Ganesha’s large, elephantine head symbolizes the wisdom, knowledge, and good luck that he bestows upon his worshippers. His one tusk, elephant head and human body makes him a unique God. He has a big belly which symbolizes the universe, large ears as he listens to every devotee, and his vehicle who is a mouse is always seen by his side. It is said that Lord Ganesha grants good fortune to those who offer him his favourite sweet called the “Modak”. He loves the bright red hibiscus flower as it signifies prosperity. Ganesha is worshipped in every Indian household, especially at the start of any auspicious event or ceremony. There are countless mythology stories about Lord Ganesha. One interesting story is about his birth. It is believed that Goddess Parvati once while going for her bath, created a boy from a sandalwood paste and breathed life to give birth to Lord Ganesha.  She then asked this boy to stand as a guard while she took her bath. Lord Shiva who was not aware that he now had a son, returned to see a boy obstructing his path and not letting him enter. This angered Lord Shiva who chopped off the boy’s head. When Goddess Parvati came out, she was shocked and angry to see her headless son. She told Lord Shiva that she would destroy the entire world if her son was not brought back to life. Shiva then asked his most faithful, Nandi bull to go to the forest and bring the head of first animal that he could sight. Nandi came with an elephant head, which was then joined to the body of his headless son. This is how Ganapati or Ganesha was born. Siva also gave him a boon that he will always be the first one to be worshipped by people before any beginning. Like his elephant head, there is also an interesting myth associated with Lord Ganesha’s broken tusk. The great Sage Vyas, who is the author of the Mahabharata epic, wanted to write the Mahabharata. He requested Lord Ganesha to be his scribe. Lord Ganesha agreed but told Sage Vyas that he should not stop dictating till everything is complete. While the epic was being written, the feather which was used for writing broke. So, Lord Ganesha quickly broke his tusk, dipped it in ink and continued writing till the end. This is how he has one tusk. There is another extremely interesting mythological story associated with Lord Ganesha. Ganesha loved modak and laddoos. One day, he ate a lot of sweets that were offered to him and his belly was full. When he sat on his vehicle which was the tiny mouse, due to Lord Ganesha’s weight, the mouse tripped and Ganesha fell along with his sweets. The moon saw this and started laughing. He was very proud of his good looks and laughed at Ganesha’s big belly. Ganesha got furious at the Moon’s vanity and cursed him that anyone who looks at the moon will be wrongly blamed. That way, the Moon realised that no one would ever look at him. He begged to Lord Ganesha who then made it mild and said anyone who looked at the moon on the day of Ganesh Chathurthi could also redeem themselves by looking at the moon on the second day and listening to stories of Krishna.   Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next

Durga Maa Durga is the mother goddess and represents the powers of all Gods. She is the protector of the righteous and the destroyer of evil. She is associated with protection, strength, and wars. Her legends are mostly around destroying demons. Goddess Durga is usually pictured as a beautiful woman and multi-limbed so that she may always be ready to battle evil from any direction. She carries a variety of weapons and other items that she uses in her fight against evil. Each of the weapons are special and are gifted to her by Gods. She is frequently depicted riding a lion, which represents power, will, and determination. According to legends, Goddess Durga was created by the holy Trinity- Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh to slay the buffalo demon – Mahishasura. She is the collective energy and Shakti of the Holy Trinity and her creation also has some contribution by the other Gods. It is believed that all Gods gave Durga her body form when she arose from the Ganga River in a spirit form. Lord Shiva gave her the face, Lord Indra built her torso, Lord Brahma crafted her teeth and Lord Agni built her eyes. Many Gods gave her their weapons. This is how the great force to fight the demon Mahishasura was born.  Mahishasura was the ruler of the underworld called Pataal-lok which is the home of the demons. He was strong and greedy and wanted to conquer the Swarglok (where the Gods and Goddesses resided) and Bhumi-lok (earth where humans lived). The demon Mahishasura had done penance to win Lord Brahma’s blessing. As a reward for his hard work, he asked the Lord to grant him the boon of immortality. But the Lord told him that it is the rule of the cosmos that who is born has to die. So Lord Brahma asked him to choose how he would like to die. That’s when Mahishasura said that he wished to be killed at the hands of a woman as he thought no woman could match his strength and hence indirectly he would continue to remain immortal. With this boon, he became even more evil and started causing chaos in the Universe. To bring an end to his misdeeds was the reason to create Maa Durga to vanquish the demon. Lord Shiva handed over his Trishul, Lord Vishnu gave her a disc, Lord Indra gave his lightning rod and other Gods gave their other special weapons along with a ferocious lion. In a huge fight between Maa Durga and the demon, the Goddess killed him and emerged victorious. Hence, she is called the Invincible Goddess. Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next

Indra Lord Indra is the King of the Gods (Devas) and ruler of Swarg-lok (Heaven). His capital city, Amaravati is called the immortal city and he resides on Mount Meru. He is the God of thunder, lightning, rains, storms and weather. He is Lord Agni’s (God of fire) brother. In India, there are no temples to worship Lord Indra. Lord Indra is fond of the Somras and considered that as his refreshing brew. His vehicle is the majestic white elephant called Airavat. His weapon is very powerful and is called Vajra which was made from Sage Dadichi’s bones so that they act like a strong rock. Lord Indra is married to Sachi who is also called Indrani. Legends say that the beautiful and elegant Sachi was emperor Pauloma’s daughter. One of his commanders-in- chief, Vrut was in deeply in love with Sachi Devi but she rejected his proposal as he was not a king. A dejected Vrut did penance of Lord Shiva who was pleased with his devotion and granted him a wish. Vrut asked for the immortality boon and said that he should not be killed with any weapons. When the boon was granted, he marched to Pauloma’s kingdom and conquered it. He became a demon Vritrasura and started even causing havoc among all Gods and defeating them and swallowing their weapons so that he could not be killed by any human or any God. He stole all the water from the Universe and also threw the Gods out of heaven. When Indra came to fight the demon, the fight continued for many days and many nights. Eventually, Vritrasura swallowed Lord Indra. Vritrasura could not be killed by normal methods and hence the Vajra weapon was specifically designed from Sage Dadhichi’s bones. Using the Vajra weapon, Lord Indra tore open Vritrasura’s stomach and released all the water and peace back to the Universe. The Gods then safely returned to heaven. Indra, who had fallen in love with Sachi, asked for her hand and then married her. Hindu Mythology Kaali Hindu Mythology Brahma Hindu Mythology Saraswati Hindu Mythology Vishnu Hindu Mythology Lakshmi Hindu Mythology Shiva Hindu Mythology Parvati Hindu Mythology Ganesha Hindu Mythology Durga Hindu Mythology Indra Hindu Mythology Rama Hindu Mythology Sita Hindu Mythology Hanuman Hindu Mythology Krishna Hindu Mythology Buddha Previous Next