"Makara appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada and of the sea god Varuna. Makara are considered guardians of gateways and thresholds, protecting throne rooms as well as entryways to temples; it is the most commonly recurring creature in Hindu and Buddhist temple iconography, and also frequently appears as a Gargoyle or as a spout attached to a natural spring. Makara-shaped earrings called ""Makarakundalas"" are sometimes worn by the Hindu gods, for example Shiva, the Destroyer, or the Preserver-god Vishnu, the Sun god Surya, and the Mother Goddess Chandi. Makara is also the insignia of the"
"preserves nor destroys anything. He is envisioned in some Hindu texts to have emerged from the metaphysical Brahman along with Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer), all other gods, goddesses, matter and other beings. In theistic schools of Hinduism where deity Brahma is described as part of its cosmology, he is a mortal like all gods and goddesses, and dissolves into the abstract immortal Brahman when the universe ends, then a new cosmic cycle (kalpa) restarts. The deity Brahma is mentioned in the Vedas and the Upanishads but is uncommon, while the abstract Brahman concept is predominant in these texts, particularly the"
"in Choryo village, is one of the two Hindu temples in this place. On the top of this Churrio Hill is a temple of Hindu goddess Durga, a goddess of Hinduism, attributed as destroyer of evil, triumph of good over evil, the mother of universe, and power behind the creation, preservation, and destruction of the world. Owing to Durga's temple, thousands of pilgrims, not only from Pakistan, especially the provinces of Sindh, Baluchistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also from Nepal, India and other countries visit Churrio Hill for their religious festivals. The temple is a part of Hindu religious"
"Destroyer. He represents the hot-blooded deity. His attributes represents victory over the demonic activity, and calmness of human nature. Lord Shiv is the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine which have dominion over death and destruction. He appears in a meditating but ever-happy posture having matted hair which holds the flowing Ganges river and a crescent moon, a serpent coiled around his neck, a trident (trishul) in his one hand and ashes all over his body. He is known as the ""giver"" god. His vehicle is a bull (symbol of happiness and strength) named Nandi. Shiva-Linga, a"
"Virabhadra Vīrabhadra (Sanskrit: वीरभद्र, lit. ""distinguished hero""), also known as Veerabathira, Veerabathiran, Veeraputhiran is a fearsome form of the Hindu god Shiva. He was created by the wrath of Shiva and destroyed the Yagna (fire sacrifice) of Daksha, after Daksha's daughter and Shiva's consort Sati self-immolated in the sacrificial fire. He is described as a warrior who eventually blinded Bhaga, subdued Indra and broke, among many other countless gods, Pushan's teeth. Other gods fled the battlefield unable to sustain his power. Sati was the youngest daughter of Daksha. While growing up, she set her heart on Shiva and worshipped him."
"Vishwakarma Puja Vishwakarma Day, also known as Vishwakarma Jayanti or Vishwakarma Puja, is a day of celebration for Vishwakarma, a Hindu god, the divine architect. He is considered as swayambhu and creator of the world. He constructed the holy city of Dwarka where Krishna ruled, the Maya Sabha of the Pandavas, and was the creator of many fabulous weapons for the gods. He is also called the divine carpenter, is mentioned in the ""Rig Veda"", and is credited with ""Sthapatya Veda"", the science of mechanics and architecture. It is generally celebrated every year on 17 or 18 September which usually"
"Trimurti The Trimūrti (; Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति """", ""three forms"") is the Triple deity of supreme divinity in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities, typically Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer, though individual denominations may vary from that particular line-up. When all three deities of the Trimurti incarnate into a single avatar, the avatar is known as Dattatreya. The Puranic period saw the rise of post-Vedic religion and the evolution of what R. C. Majumdar calls ""synthetic Hinduism."" This period had no homogeneity, and included"
"the Pinaka"" and ""Mrityunjaya"", ""conqueror of death"". He is the spouse of Shakti. He also is represented by Mahakala and Bhairava. Shiva is often pictured holding the damaru, an hourglass-shaped drum, along with his trishula, a trident-staff. His usual mantra is Om Namah Shivaya. Lord Shiva is also considered as the God Of Gods. The existence which represents infinity itself. He is the supreme masculine divinity in this universe and is lord of the three worlds (Vishwanath) and is second to none in wrath and power. The Lord Destroyer, Sarvaripati Shiva is one of the most fearsome manifestation of the"
"Narantaka-Devantaka Narantaka (Sanskrit: नरान्तक, IAST: narāntaka, lit. ""destroyer of men"") and Devanataka (Sanskrit: देवान्तक, IAST: devāntaka, lit. ""destroyer of Gods"") are demons who appear in a number of Hindu legends. In the Ganesha Purana, they were a son of the rishi Rudraketu. (In Satya Yuga) After praying to the god Shiva, they were granted boons and become powerful and cruel rulers. They assume sovereignty over svarga. In response Ganesha, a popular elephant-headed god in Hinduism, turns into an Avatar named Mahotkata. He battles the Demon army with help of the Ashta Siddhi. Eventually Mahotkata manages to kill Devantaka with one"
"Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and rejuvenation. However, she is not different from Satī, being the reincarnation of Shiva's wife. Parvati is the mother of the gods and goddess, Ganesha and Skanda (Kartikeya). Some communities believe her to be the sister of Vishnu. Parvati, when depicted alongside Shiva, generally appears with two arms, but when alone, she is shown having four or eight arms, and astride a tiger or lion. Generally considered a benevolent goddess, Parvati also has wrathful incarnations, such as Durga, Kali, Shitala Devi, Tara, Chandi, and the Mahavidyas as well as benevolent forms like Kathyayini, Mahagauri,"
"of Tamil Nadu. As per the account in Brahmanda Purana, Brahma, the Hindu god of creation and Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, had originally five heads. Parvati, the wife of Shiva, once got confused and worshipped Brahma, instead of her husband. Shiva got enraged and cut off one of Brahma's heads; the head stuck to Shiva's hand due to Brahma's curse. To get rid off the sin, Shiva worshipped the god Vishnu at Thirukarambanur as Bhikshatana, where a part of his sin was relieved. Shiva freed himself from the sin after visiting Vishnu at Thirukandiyur and taking a holy"
"Supreme God. Assigned with destroying all of the universe at the end of time, Shiva is one of the most fearsome warriors and unconquerable. Tandava is the dance of the Destroyer, which He performs over the body of a demon. Shiva employs his power to kill the Asura Tripura, destroying the flying three cities of Tripura. In battle, Shiva and his Avatars deploy formidable weapons controlled by him. Some of these are: Vishnu, the Inconceivable Supreme, is the Supreme God in Vaishnavism sect of Hinduism. ""Vishnu"" means ""all pervading"" supreme being, the source of everything. In the Vishnu Sahasranama he"
"Agni Agni ( , , Pali: ""Aggi"", ) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire, and connotes the Vedic fire god of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction, and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. In the classical cosmology of the Indian religions, Agni as fire is one of the five inert impermanent constituents (""Dhatus"") along with space (""Akasha/Dyaus""), water (""Jal/Varuna""), air (""Vayu"") and earth (""Prithvi""), the five combining to form the empirically perceived material existence (""Prakriti""). In Vedic literature, Agni is a major and oft-invoked god along with Indra and Soma. Agni"
"completion of his assigned task. Virabhadra Vīrabhadra (Sanskrit: वीरभद्र, lit. ""distinguished hero""), also known as Veerabathira, Veerabathiran, Veeraputhiran is a fearsome form of the Hindu god Shiva. He was created by the wrath of Shiva and destroyed the Yagna (fire sacrifice) of Daksha, after Daksha's daughter and Shiva's consort Sati self-immolated in the sacrificial fire. He is described as a warrior who eventually blinded Bhaga, subdued Indra and broke, among many other countless gods, Pushan's teeth. Other gods fled the battlefield unable to sustain his power. Sati was the youngest daughter of Daksha. While growing up, she set her heart"
"Shiva Shiva (; Sanskrit: शिव, , lit. ""the auspicious one"") is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being within Shaivism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Shiva is known as the ""Creator, maintainer and the destroyer"" within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu. In Shaivism tradition, Shiva is the Supreme being who creates, protects and transforms the universe. In the tradition of Hinduism called Shaktism, the Goddess, or Devi, is described as supreme, yet Shiva is revered along with Vishnu and Brahma. A goddess is stated to be the"
"""The destroyer of time"" in Sanskrit. 'Kal' is time and 'jar' destruction. Legend says that after manthan Hindu God, Lord Shiva, drank the poison and his throat became blue (hence the name Neel (blue) Kantha (throat)) and he came to Kalinjar and overcome the 'Kal' i.e. he achieved victory over death. This is the reason the Shiva temple at Kalinjar is called Neelkanth. Since then, the hill has been considered a holy site, casting its shadow across the patches of grasslands as well as the densely forested valley. The natural splendor of the surroundings makes it an ideal place for"
"Varaha Varaha (, ""boar"") is the avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu who takes the form of a boar to rescue goddess earth. Varaha is listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu. In a symbolic Hindu mythology, when the demon Hiranyaksha tormented the earth (personified as the goddess Bhudevi) and its inhabitants, she sinks into the primordial waters. Vishnu took the form of the Varaha, descended into the depths of the oceans to rescue her. Varaha slew the demon and retrieved the Earth from the ocean, lifting her on his tusks, and restored Bhudevi to"
"Sudalai Madan Sudalai Madan is a male Hindu deity who is generally venerated by Tamil-speaking Hindus in South India, particularly in the Tamil Nadu region. He was created by Lord Shiva, so he is considered as son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti. In Tulunad he is usually accompanied with Therd ""madan"" means protector and ""sudalai"" means cemetery or burial ground. He is the eradicator of evil forces and bridles evil forces. Evil forces are believed to emanate from cemeteries and burial grounds. Sudalai reigns over evil forces, so Sri Shiva thus dubbed him as ""Sudalai Madan"". Sudalai is also"
"Lakhmi Varaha Temple, . Karnataka at Maravanthe and Kallahalli, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha at Yajna Varaha Temple, and Lakhmi Varaha Temple, Aul Rajasthan at Pushkar, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Varaha Varaha (, ""boar"") is the avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu who takes the form of a boar to rescue goddess earth. Varaha is listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu. In a symbolic Hindu mythology, when the demon Hiranyaksha tormented the earth (personified as the goddess Bhudevi) and its inhabitants, she sinks into the primordial waters. Vishnu took the form of the Varaha,"
"Shri Kali. According to Hindu legend, during one of the biggest deluges that submerged the planet earth, Hindu god Shiva is said to have carried the 64 arts on a raft (called ""Thoni"" in Tamil). The presiding deity in the temple, Shiva, is thus called ""Thoniappar"" (the one who carried the raft) and the region is called ""Thonipuram"". The Hindu god Brahma is believed to have worshiped Shiva here, giving the name ""Bhramapureeswarar"" (the one worshipped by Brahma) and so the region is also referred as ""Bhramapureeswaram"". Shiva is believed to have quelled the arrogance of Hindu god Vishnu, after"
"Mahishasura Mahishasura is both reviled as well as worshipped by sections of Hindus. For some, he was a buffalo demon in Hindu mythology whereas for many others he is a God. He is known among some sections of Hindus for his deception and as someone who pursued his evil ways by shape shifting into different forms. He was ultimately killed by Durga getting named Mahishasuramardini. It is an important symbolic legend in Hindu mythology, particularly Shaktism. The legendary battle of Mahishasura as evil and Durga as good is narrated in many parts of South Asian and Southeast Asian Hindu temples,"
"Smarta approach (see more detail on the Smarta view below) by instructing his followers to venerate all five deities of the Panchayatana puja with equal reverence. Trimurti The Trimūrti (; Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति """", ""three forms"") is the Triple deity of supreme divinity in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities, typically Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer, though individual denominations may vary from that particular line-up. When all three deities of the Trimurti incarnate into a single avatar, the avatar is known as Dattatreya. The"
"Bhairava Bhairava (Mahakala Bhairava) (Sanskrit: भैरव, lit. ""frightful"") is a Hindu deity worshiped by Hindus. In Shaivism, he is a fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ""Bhairava"" represents Supreme Reality, synonymous to Para Brahman. In Hinduism Bhairava is also called Dandapani (as he holds a rod or Danda to punish sinners) and Swaswa meaning ""whose horse is a dog"". In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is considered a fierce emanation of Mañjuśrī and also called Heruka, Vajrabhairava and Yamantaka. The historical origins of Bhairava are obscure, according to Ronald M. Davidson, he was probably a ""local ferocious divinity"""
"Prajapati Prajapati (IAST: """", ""lord of creation and protector"") is a Vedic deity of Hinduism. The term also connotes many different gods, depending on the Hindu text, ranging from being the creator god to being same as one of the following: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Agni, Indra, Vishvakarma, Bharata, Kapila and many others. According to George Williams, the inconsistent, varying and evolving Prajapati concept in Hindu mythology reflects the diverse Hindu cosmology. In classical and medieval era literature, Prajapati is equated to the metaphysical concept called Brahm as Prajapati-Brahm (Svayambhu Brahm), or alternatively Brahm is described as one who existed before"
"Prajapati Prajapati (IAST: """", ""lord of creation and protector"") is a Vedic deity of Hinduism. The term also connotes many different gods, depending on the Hindu text, ranging from being the creator god to being same as one of the following: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Agni, Indra, Vishvakarma, Bharata, Kapila and many others. According to George Williams, the inconsistent, varying and evolving Prajapati concept in Hindu mythology reflects the diverse Hindu cosmology. In classical and medieval era literature, Prajapati is equated to the metaphysical concept called Brahm as Prajapati-Brahm (Svayambhu Brahm), or alternatively Brahm is described as one who existed before"
"Kali ' (; ), also known as ' or Shyama (), is a Hindu goddess. Kali is one of the ten Mahavidyas, a list which combines Sakta and Buddhist goddesses. Kali's earliest appearance is that of a destroyer of evil forces. She is the goddess of one of the four subcategories of the Kulamārga, a category of tantric Saivism. Over time, she has been worshipped by devotional movements and tantric sects variously as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe, Adi Shakti, or Adi Parashakti. Shakta Hindu and Tantric sects additionally worship her as the ultimate reality or ""Brahman"". She"
"the phallus architecturally and in smaller implements was also exhibited by certain Christian sects in medieval times, such as the Manichaeans, and was connected with masochism and sadism, a form of religious flagellantism. Smaller phallic shaped monuments in the form of idols, even vases, rings, drinking vessels and jewellery have been well-documented and could be found within medieval churches of Ireland. In Hinduism, the Hindu trimurthi represents Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver and Shiva, the destroyer. Shiva, the main deity in India, is both destroyer and is stated to also include his role of creation; this creation role is"
"Sāṁvartaka In Hinduism and Jainism, Sāṁvartaka is a divine force or power normally used by the deity Indra. Described as being a cloud of energy or fire, the force is used to destroy or despoil that which displeases Indra. The force is referenced to in Hindu and Jainist texts. Samvartaka is also strongly associated with comets. In Hinduism and Jainism, samvartaka is a force primarily wielded by the god Indra. However, some texts portray the force as being wielded by deities other than Indra. Regardless of caller or wielder, the force is portrayed as being incredibly destructive. In the epic"
"Kalki Kalki, also called Kalkin or Karki, is the tenth avatar of Hindu god Vishnu to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in endless cycle of existence (""krita"") in Vaishnavism cosmology. He is described in the Puranas as the avatar who rejuvenates existence by ending the darkest and destructive period to remove adharma and ushering in the Satya Yuga, while riding a white horse with a fiery sword. The description and details of Kalki are inconsistent among the Puranic texts. He is, for example, only an invisible force destroying evil and chaos in some texts, while an"
"Sri Satru Samhara Moorthy Sri Satru Samhara Moorthy is a ferocious form of God Muruga who destroys enemies. God Kartikeya is born from the six faces of Lord Shiva for the purpose of destroying demon Surapadman. Although God Muruga is a child god and can easily fell fond towards the devotees, he is fierce and dangerous to his enemies. God Muruga is considered as the god of love and god of war. He is the chief of the army of gods. It is believed that he can destroy all the evil and negative forces. In most of the temples Satru"
"Chhinnamasta Chhinnamasta (, , ""She whose head is severed""), often spelled Chinnamasta, and also called Ch(h)innamastika and Prachanda Chandika, is a Hindu goddess. She is one of the Mahavidyas, ten goddesses from the esoteric tradition of Tantra, and a ferocious aspect of Devi, the Hindu Mother goddess. The self-decapitated nude goddess, usually standing or seated on a divine copulating couple, holds her own severed head in one hand, a scimitar in another. Three jets of blood spurt out of her bleeding neck and are drunk by her severed head and two attendants. Chhinnamasta is a goddess of contradictions. She symbolises"
"as Brahma, the Creator. In the maintenance and development of existence, it is known as Vishnu, the Maintainer. And in the end, when the Great Spirit gathers everything back into itself, it is known as Shiva, the Destroyer. The Shiva aspect of the Great Spirit was paraphrased by Robert Oppenheimer upon witnessing the first atomic bomb test, ""Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."" Only the Maintainer Vishnu aspect of the Great Spirit is considered to be currently active. Vishnu sometimes manifests Himself as a human for purposes of setting mankind back on the path toward spiritual perfection"
"Batara Kala Batara Kala is the god of the underworld in traditional Javanese and Balinese mythology, ruling over it in a cave along with Setesuyara. Batara Kala is also named the creator of light and the earth. He is also the god of time and destruction, who devours unlucky people. He is related to Hindu concept of Kala, or time. In mythology, he causes eclipses by trying to eat the Sun or the Moon. According to legend, Batara Kala is the son of Batara Guru (the Javanese version of Shiva). Batara Guru has a very beautiful wife named Dewi Uma"