India GOIndia GO · 20
Hindu deities
Who each deity is, how to recognise the image, the main temples and festivals.
Vaishnava
ChaitanyaWho Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was: his life from Nabadwip to Puri, what followers believe, how he is shown, and where to go: Mayapur, Nabadwip, Vrindavan.
HanumanWho Lord Hanuman is, why he carries a mace and a mountain, his leap to Lanka, the Hanuman Chalisa and mantra, and his temples in Delhi, Jaipur and…
JagannathWho Lord Jagannath is, why his wooden image has huge round eyes and no arms, the Puri temple legend, Nabakalebara, Rath Yatra and Jagannath temples.
KrishnaWho Lord Krishna is, what his flute and dark skin mean, the key stories from Mathura to the Gita, and the Krishna temples of Vrindavan, Mathura and…
LakshmiWho the goddess Lakshmi is, what her lotus, elephants and owl mean, how she rose from the ocean of milk, her mantra, Diwali and Lakshmi temples in…
RamaWho Lord Rama is, why he carries a bow, the Ramayana in brief, the Rama mantra, and Rama temples from Ayodhya and Bhadrachalam to Hampi and Tirupati.
VenkateswaraWho Lord Venkateswara (Balaji) is, why his eyes are covered, the story of the Kubera loan, and where to see him: Tirumala, Tiruchanur, Chilkur and…
VishnuWho Lord Vishnu is, his symbols and the ten avatars from Matsya to Kalki, the stories behind Holi and Onam, and Vishnu temples from Mysuru to…
Shaiva
GaneshaWho Lord Ganesha is, what his elephant head, broken tusk and mouse mean, the story of his birth, his mantra, and Ganesha temples from Pune to…
MuruganWho Lord Murugan (Kartikeya, Skanda) is, what his vel and peacock mean, the stories of his birth and battles, and the Six Abodes and other Murugan…
NandiWho Nandi is, why he faces the lingam in every Shiva temple, why people whisper in his ear, and where to see the giant Nandis of Bengaluru and Mysore.
ShivaWho Lord Shiva is, what the lingam, trident, third eye and crescent moon mean, the key stories, and Shiva temples from Goa and Mysuru to the…
Shakta
DurgaWho Durga is, what her lion and ten arms mean, the battle with the buffalo demon, Durga and Kali, the mantra, and Durga temples from Mysuru to Delhi.
KaliWho the goddess Kali is, why she is shown with her tongue out and standing on Shiva, the story of her birth, and Kali temples from Kolkata to Delhi.
ParvatiWho the goddess Parvati is, why she is the daughter of the mountain, her forms from Gauri to Durga, how she won Shiva, and where her temples are.
SaraswatiWho Saraswati is, what her veena, book and swan mean, the stories, how students worship her on Vasant Panchami, and the Saraswati temples worth a…
Nature
GangaWho the goddess Ganga is, how she came down through Shiva's hair, her makara and water pot, how pilgrims bathe, and where to meet her from Gangotri…
SuryaThe main Surya mantras with meanings (Om Suryaya namah, Gayatri, the 12 names), who Surya is, his chariot and seven horses, and India's sun temples.