 Hindu Gods 
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Shiva SakthiLord Shiva is the Destroyer God of the Trimurti. He destroies the world at the end of each Kalpa. Shiva is the great ascetic whose meditation keeps the world in existence, is also the protector of animals. Lord Shiva appears in a meditating posture, ashes all over his body. He has matted hair which holds the flowing Ganga and a crescent Moon, on the front are the Third Eye and the symbols of Shivaism. A serpent coiled is around his neck, in one hand he carries a trishula (trident), in his other hand he plays damaru (a two sided finger drum). His body is adorned with garlands of naga (snake). He is the Lord of Procreation, and the Shiva-Lingam, the phallus of the Lord, is adored instead of him. Shiva represents the supreme consiusness as well the male principle, which acquire the power to create and destroy the elements only in conjuntion with Shakti, the female principle. Shiva's consort is kown as Parvati, Shakti, or Kali, and personified the divine power of feminility. His Vahana (vehicle) is Nandi, a bull. |
DurgaDurga (or Shakti), the female principle which activates Shiva, is the personification of Universal Energy. Durga (Invincible) is Parvati in her terrifying form, and in the same time the most powerful embodiment of Shiva's Shakti. She is a composite goddess who includes in herself different elements of many Gods and local Goddesses. She has eight, sometimes thirty-two arms, and carries the weapons of almost all the Deva; She take the Trisula from Shiva, the Chakra from Vishnu, the Vjara from Indra, the flaming arrow from Agni, the mace from Kubera, the bow from Vayu, the shining arrow from Surya, the iron lance from Yama, the axe from Visvakarman, the sword from Brahma, the conch-shell from Varuna, the lion, Her vahana (vehicle), from Himavat. Devi-Shakti, the inner force of Gods, when issued forth assumes female forms: out of Vishnu emerge Vaishnavi; out of Brahma, Brahmi; out of Shiva-Maheswara, Maheswari; out of Karttikeya-Kumara, Kumari; out of Indra, Indrani; out of Varaha, Varahi; out of Durga, Chamundi. These Goddesses are nothing else but different forms of Durga, the Mother Goddess. |
GaneshGod of knowledge and Remover of obstacles, is the older son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, but unlike Karttikeya he was created by Parvati alone. Lord Shiva named him Ganapati or commander of his Ganas (attendants). Protector of the intellectuals, he dictated to Vyasa the poem of Mahabharata. He is worshipped first in all Hindu rituals, and before any undertaking is started. His vahana (vehicle) is Akhu, a mouse |
Muruga
Karttikeya, Lord Shiva's second son, is the God of the War, the war-lord of the Deva (God) army. He was conceived by his fhather's sprem alone.Then he was nurtured by Agni, Ganga, Sharavana (forest of reeds) and the Krittikas (six celestial nymphs, the Pleiades) in turn.
His vahana (vehicle) is a peacock.
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