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Bhairava, the Terrible One, is the destructive form of Shiva.

Brahma, the first god of the Hindu trinity, is the creator of the universe and the patron of many craftsmen. He has four heads, is dressed like a priest, and often holds a text and a water vessel, signifying his importance to knowledge and worship.

Durga is the all-powerful form of the consort of Shiva. She wields a multitude of weapons in her many arms and rides a lion or a tiger.

Ganesha, an elephant-headed deity, is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the god of knowledge and the remover of obstacles. His vehicle is a rat.

Vishnu`s loyal eagle vehicle.

Hanuman is the devoted monkey god who possesses great strength and magical powers. In the Ramayana, a Hindu epic, he helps Rama defeat Ravana.

Jagannath, the lord of the universe, is a popular regional form of Krishna in Eastern India.

Kali is the ferocious form of the consort of Shiva. She has a dark colour and an extended tongue and wears a garland of heads.

Kartikeya, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is depicted as the god of war or a handsome young man, a symbol of perfection. He holds a spear, symbolising spiritual discrimination. His vehicle is a peacock.

Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, is worshipped in many forms. He is often shown as an infant, a youth in the company of the gopis (cowherds) among whom he grew up or a great hero vanquishing demons.

Lakshmana, a heroic figure in the Ramayana, helps his brother, Rama, search for his beloved wife, Sita.

Lakshmi, a consort of Vishnu, is the goddess of prosperity and beauty and the patron goddess of shopkeepers and businessmen. She is often represented flanked by two elephants (symbol of good fortune) who are blessing her with the sacred waters of the Ganges. She sits on a lotus, a seat of divine truth.

A symbol of Shiva. It represents a sacred pillar, the phallus of procreative powers and the will to live, the pivot on which the wheels of the universe turn.

Shiva`s loyal bull.

Nataraja, Shiva as lord of the dance, represents creation, sustenance and destruction. In this form, he bestows grace and tramples ignorance, symbolised by the dwarf under his foot.

Parvati, the consort of Shiva, exemplifies beauty, devotion and motherhood.

Krishna`s favourite lover among the cowherds.

Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu, is the hero of the Ramayana, the epic story of his search for his wife, Sita, who has been abducted by a demon king, Ravana. The model of the ideal man, he holds a bow and arrow, indicating his readiness to destroy evil.

The ten-headed demon king of Lanka who abducts Sita in the Ramayana.

Saraswati, a consort of Brahma, is the goddess of learning and the arts, and the patron goddess of students and musicians. She plays the music of love and life on the veena, a stringed musical instrument. She is accompanied by a white swan or a peacock.

Shiva, the third deity of the Hindu trinity, represents the all ` the union that lies beyond all dualities. He is identified with the immensity of the cosmos. His trident is a symbol of his power to control the three cosmic functions of creation, sustenance and destruction. His three eyes represent the three sources of light: the sun, the moon and fire. He often has a cobra coiled around his neck, and wears leopard or tiger skin around his waist. Nandi, his loyal bull, frequently accompanies him. The main forms in which Shiva is represented are: as a father in the Soma Skanda, an image of him with Parvati and their two sons that symbolises the ideal of family unity and love; as Mahayogin, the master yogi in profound meditation whose concentration sustains the world; as Nataraja and as a linga.

Sita, Rama`s loyal wife is abducted by the demon Ravana in the Ramayana, the great Hindu epic.

Srinathji, the lord of the mountain, is a popular regional form of Krishna in Western India.

Vishnu, the second deity of the Hindu trinity, is the preserver of the universe who fights for order and righteousness. His four arms indicate dominion over the four corners of the earth, symbolising absolute power. He often holds a conch, a discus, a lotus flower and a club (mace). He appeared on earth in various forms to help humans battle darkness and ignorance. All his incarnation