Religion is an expression of humanity’s search for an entire picture of the universe. The inborn desire to understand the world, karma, existence, and time is a significant reason for religion and a person’s worship of a paramount Being. Hinduism is one of the ancient religions and also the third highest in the world. Their exact count cannot be determined. While various deity forms are worshipped, it is believed that all devotees worship a supreme being. Here is the record of the top 10 Hindu gods who have the most prominent devotees globally!
10. Indra
| Titles: | Indra Dev is the god of Rain |
| Parents: | Kashyapa (father) and Aditi (mother) |
| Siblings: | Agni, Surya and Varuna |
| Children: | Jayanta, Jayanti, Devasena, Vali and Arjuna |
| Festival: | Indhira Vizha |
| Mantra: | ॐ Sahastranetrayaya Vidmahe Vajrahastaye Dheemahi Tanno Indra Prachaodayat. |
| Texts: | Vedas, Puranas, Jatakas, Mahabharata, Ramayana |
| Symbols: | Vajra, Indra’s net |
Indra Dev, the Hindu god of Rain Indra, is the king of heaven and the devas’ leader. Airavat, an auspicious white elephant, is his Vahan. Another of his vahans(vehicles) is a chariot drawn by 10,000 horses. His weapon, which represents both a diamond and a lightning bolt, is called a vajra. He is the kid of Aditi and the prudent Kashyap. Indra is often shown as a cunning god, putting obstacles in devotees’ path. Especially the Asuras to ruin people’s efforts to please the gods. Indra represents strength and courage.
9.Hanuman
| Titles: | Hanuman is the god of Perseverance and Commitment. |
| Parents: | Vayu (celestial father) Kesari (father) Añjanā (mother) |
| Siblings: | Bhima (spiritual brother) |
| Festival: | Hanuman Jayanti |
| Mantra: | Om Hanumate Namah |
| Texts: | Ramayana and its other versions, Hanuman Chalisa |
| Yoga Posture: | Hanumanasana is one posture that needs a lot of dedication and the patience of a saint to master. |
Hanuman, the monkey god, is the child of the deity of air or Vayu. He is also one of the eight divines known as Astachiranjiwi. It is considered that a young Hanuman was once tested to drink the sun. Due to his playful nature, his powers were confined until he met Ram. After meeting Ram, Hanuman became a loyal devotee who plays a central part in the epic Ramayana. He was one of Ram’s powerful allies who burned Lanka (the great King Ravana). Hanuman is famous for saving Ram’s brother, Lakshman, by taking an entire mount of sanjiwani buti, a life-saving herb. For all these reasons, he is the mark of the power of devotion.
8.Harihara
| Titles: | Harihara is the god of Support, Order, Balance, Destruction, Renewal, Death. |
| Festival: | Harihareshwara car festival (Bharat Hunnime) |
| Mantra: | Shivasya Hridayam Vishnu, Vishnosch Hridayam shivah |
Harihara, Lord Shiva, and Vishnu Harihara is the combined incarnation of two supreme Hindu deities. Hari represents Vishnu and Hara represents Shiva. Due to this fusion, Harihara is followed by both devotees of Vishnu and Shiva as the supreme god’s form. Thus, Harihara shows the importance of all gods as the supreme power in the universe. Harihara’s iconography is divided into two parts. One half defends Shiva holding the Trishul, a deer, and drum. The other half depicts Vishnu, which has the conch hull and the chakra.
7. Kumar Kartikeya
| Titles: | Kumar Kartikeya is the god of War. |
| Parents: | Shiva (father) and Parvati (mother) |
| Siblings: | Ganesha (brother) |
| Festival: | Skanda Sashti, Karthikai Deepam, Kartik Purnima |
| Mantra: | Oṃ Saravaṇa Bhava Om Saravaṇa Bhavāya Namaḥ, Kanthanukku Arogara Vetrivel Muruganukku Arogara |
Kumar Kartikeya is a Hindu warrior god. The name also knows him of Kartikeya. He is the first child of Shiva and Parvati, incarnated to kill the demon Tarkasur. Because of this, he was elevated by the Kirtikas far away from his parents to protect him from Tarkasur’s attempts to kill him. After regaining his powers, Kumar was appointed commander in chief, chief of the devas in the fight against Tarkasur. Because of his courage and skill, Kumar was offered the King of Heaven’s position but declined because he felt his role as Commander in Chief was more critical. His vehicle is the peacock.
6. Krishna
| Titles: | Indra Dev is the god of Rain |
| Parents: | Devaki (mother) Vasudeva (father) Yashoda (foster mother) Nanda (foster father) |
| Siblings: | Balarama (brother) Subhadra (sister) Yogmaya (sister) |
| Children: | Pradyumna, Samba, Bhanu, and various other children |
| Festival: | Janmashtami |
| Mantra: | Om Krishnaya Namah |
| Texts: | Bhagavata Purana, Harivamsa, Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita), Brahma Vaivarta Purana |
| Yoga Posture: | Natarajasana: Evoke Lord Krishna’s qualities of concentration and balance by practicing Natvarasana. Krishna is often pictured playing the flute. This asana or yoga posture, Natvarasana, echoes this typical depiction. |
Krishna, Hindu God Krishna, also known by Vasudeva, Govinda, Madhusudan, and Gopal, is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and most notable philosophers warriors of Hinduism and Devaki. He was destined to destroy his cruel uncle Kansa, King of Mathura. He was raised by his adoptive parents Yashoda and Nanda in Gokul to keep him safe from his uncle’s murderous attempts. The Krishna Janmashtami festival is celebrated to spot his birth. Krishna is also one of the core figures of the epic Mahabharata. At the Battle of Kurukshetra, he vowed not to use any weapons but offered to be Arjuna’s chariot rider. During this battle, Arjuna was faced with the dilemma of fighting his relatives. Krishna gave him Gita’s erudition to help him.
Krishna is the god of Joy, Love, Leadership.
5. Ram
| Titles: | Ram is the god of Chivalry, Virtue, Fortitude. |
| Parents: | Dasharatha (father) Kaushalya (mother) Kaikeyi (step-mother) Sumitra (step-mother) |
| Siblings: | Shanta (sister) Lakshmana (half-brother) Bharata (half-brother) Shatrughna (half-brother) |
| Children: | Lava (son) Kusha (son) |
| Festival: | Rama Navami, Vivaha Panchami, Deepavali, Dussehra |
| Mantra: | Shriram Chandraya Namah |
| Texts: | Ramayana and its other versions |
| Yoga Posture: | Makarasana: Practice Makarasana or crocodile pose lying facedown on the floor. The abdomen and diaphragm are pressing on the ground. Crocodile poses calm the nervous system. It helps allure focus inward and is practiced at the beginning of a yoga sequence. |
Hindu god Ram, the eldest son of Kaushalya and Dasharatha and ruler of the Ayodhya kingdom, is the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. He is also known as Ramchandra / Rama. Ram Navami’s festival is celebrated on the occasion of his birth, the central protagonist of the epic Ramayana. Kaikeyi, one of his stepmothers, wanted him to be exiled so their son could be the next king. Therefore, Ram was exiled for 14 years with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman. Ravan, the king of Lanka, kidnapped Sita during her exile. This eventually led to the War in which Rama defeated Ravana.
4. Ganesh
| Titles: | Ganesh is the god of Removing Obstacles, Good Fortune, Wisdom. |
| Parents: | Shiva (father) Parvati (mother) |
| Siblings: | Kartikeya |
| Children: | Shubha, Labha, Santoshi Mata |
| Festival: | Ganesh Chaturthi |
| Mantra: | Oṃ Shri Gaṇesaya Namaḥ, Oṃ Gaṃ Gaṇapataye Namaḥ |
| Texts: | Ganesha Purana, Mudgala Purana, Ganapati Atharvashirsa |
| Yoga Posture: | Virabhadrasana |
Hindu God, Ganesh, the elephant god, is the second child of Shiva and Parvati and the younger brother of Kumar Kartikey. As long as any puja or ritual is performed, he is the first god to be worshiped. Due to a misunderstanding in which Shiva did not know that Ganesh was his son, he cut off Ganesh’s head in anger. Later, he placed an elephant head on Ganesh and was revived, also granted the first god’s power in the order of importance. .Mushak, the mouse, is his vehicle. He is often associated with Ganesh with Mangal or Mars and good luck.
3. Vishnu
| Titles: | Vishnu is the god of Support and Balance. |
| Siblings: | Parvati |
| Children: | Kamadeva |
| Festival: | Holi, Ram Navami, Narasimha Jayanti, Diwali, Krishna Janmashtami, Onam, Vivaha Panchami, Anant Chaturdashi, Devshayani Ekadashi, Vijayadashami, Prabodhini Ekadashi, and other Ekadashi, Kartik Purnima, Tulsi Vivah |
| Mantra: | Om Namoh Narayanaya, Om Namoh Bhagavate Vasudevaya |
| Yoga Posture: | Vrikshasana: Vrikshasana requires a sharp spiritual focus. This focus directs and concentrates the mind. |
He is also renowned as Narayan and Hari. Before the creation of the universe, it is believed that Vishnu was asleep in a vast sea of nothing. Visnu is famous for the incarnations him known as avatars. Being the protector of the universe, the incarnations of him are responsible for protecting the world from the powers of evil and maintaining peace and order. Visnu has incarnated nine times. People believe that the tenth incarnation of him, Kalki, will approach the end of the world. Garuda, the mythological bird, is his vehicle. Vishnu resides in Vishnuloka.
2. Brahma
| Titles: | Brahma is the God of Mind, Creation, Intellect. |
| Festival: | Kartik Purnima, Srivari Brahmotsavam |
| Mantra: | Oṃ Vedatmanaya Vidmahe hiraṇyagarbhaya dhimahi tanno brahma prachodayaṭ |
| Yoga Posture: | Brahma Mudra: Although Brahma Mudra is a sitting posture that’s practiced before pranayama, it also improves focus and releases negative energies. |
Hindu trinity god Brahma, also one of the Trinitarian gods of Hinduism, is the universe’s creator. He is often depicted as the four-headed god, representing four directions. It is believed that Brahma had five heads, due to the pride of the fifth head, Shiva cut it off; although Brahma himself is the creator of the universe, he evolved from the lotus flower at Vishnu’s navel. The swan or goose is his vehicle. Brahma resides in Brahmaloka.
1.Mahesh (Shiva)
| Titles: | Maha Shivaratri, Shraavana, Kartik Purnima, Bhairava Ashtami |
| Children: | Kartikeya and Ganesha |
| Festival: | Indhira Vizha |
| Mantra: | Om Namah Shivaya |
| Yoga Posture: | Natarajasana: Natarajasana is a pose representing the deity in one of his most beloved forms. The word Natarajasana comes from two words: Nata, meaning acrobat, and raja, meaning king. |
Shiva, the god of the Hindu trinity, is the destroyer of the universe and one of Hinduism’s trinity gods. He is popularly known as Shiva, Mahadev, and Ashutosh. He is the only god of the trinity residing on Earth in Kailash. Mahesh is proven as a loving husband and father and a yogi in benign ways of him, while in fierce incarnations of him, he is seen as the destroyer, slaying demons and Asura. Shiva is also the guardian god of meditation, yoga, and art, decorated with the holy river, the Ganges, and the serene moon, the Chandra, on his head. He is considered a very simple god worshiped in the form of Lingam.Shiva is the God of Destruction, Renewal, Death.
The gods in Hinduism can be analyzed as a set of functional deities. Each god has a precise purpose and power. For example, Indra is the God of Rain; The trinity gods are the creator, protector, and destroyer; and others represent the various functional look of the gods. Depending on the duration and place, the popularity of the deities can vary. While their faces and competence may differ, they all play an essential role in creating, protecting, destroying, and continuing the universe.
