The deities of the temples
Who sits in the garbhagriha: each deity and avatar with the texts that tell of them, how they are shown in stone, their festivals, and every temple on this site where they are worshipped.
34Devata: deities
The Trimurti
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva: creation, preservation and dissolution.
शिवःBhagwan ShivaAnadi and Swayambhu, praised in the Veda as Rudra, the dissolver among the Trimurti and for Shaivas the Parabrahman himself, worshipped above all in the Linga.490 temples
विष्णुःBhagwan VishnuThe preserver among the Trimurti, who comes down as avatar whenever dharma declines; for Vaishnavas, Shriman Narayana is the Supreme Being, worshipped with Shri Lakshmi.144 temples
ब्रह्माBhagwan BrahmaThe creator among the Trimurti, born on the lotus that rises from Vishnu’s navel; from his four mouths came the four Vedas, and his day is a whole kalpa.8 templesThe Devi
Shakti in her many forms.
पार्वतीMata ParvatiDaughter of Himavan and Mena, Sati reborn, who won Bhagwan Shiva by tapas; mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya, and the gentle face of the one Shakti whose fierce forms are Durga and Kali.37 temples
दुर्गाMaa DurgaThe Devi of the Devi Mahatmya, formed from the combined radiance of all the devas to slay Mahishasura; Shaktas worship her as Adi Parashakti, the mother of the worlds.61 temples
लक्ष्मीःMata LakshmiShri Lakshmi, consort of Bhagwan Vishnu, who rose from the churning of the ocean; she gives wealth, grain, children, courage and the grace that leads to moksha, and comes with Vishnu in each avatar.88 temples
सरस्वतीMata SaraswatiDevi of speech, learning, music and the arts, consort of Bhagwan Brahma; in the Rigveda she is the holiest of rivers and the power that awakens the mind.14 temples
कालीMaa KaliThe dark, fierce form of the Devi who sprang from Durga’s brow to destroy Chanda, Munda and Raktabija; first of the ten Mahavidyas and, for her devotees, the tender mother who frees them from fear of time and death.25 temples
गङ्गाGanga MataThe holiest river, a Devi who came down from heaven at Bhagiratha’s prayer to free his ancestors, broke her fall in Shiva’s hair and flows to the sea washing away sin; mother of Bhishma.6 temples
शाकम्भरीMaa ShakambhariThe Devi who, in a drought of a hundred years, wept from a hundred eyes until the rivers filled and fed the world with greens and fruits from her own body; then she slew Durgama and took the name Durga.2 templesThe avatars
When dharma declines, Vishnu descends.
मत्स्यःMatsya AvatarThe first of the Dashavatara: Bhagwan Vishnu as a great fish who saved Manu, the rishis and the seeds of life from the pralaya flood, and recovered the Vedas stolen by the asura Hayagriva.0 temples
कूर्मःKurma AvatarThe second avatar: Bhagwan Vishnu as a giant tortoise who carried Mount Mandara on his back so that the devas and asuras could churn the ocean of milk for amrita.1 temples
वराहःVaraha AvatarThe third avatar: Bhagwan Vishnu as a cosmic boar who dived into the ocean, slew Hiranyaksha and raised Bhudevi, the earth, on his tusks; our kalpa is named Shveta Varaha after him.7 temples
नरसिंहःNarasimha AvatarThe fourth avatar: Bhagwan Vishnu as half man, half lion, who burst from a pillar at twilight to slay Hiranyakashipu and protect the child devotee Prahlada.18 temples
वामनःVamana AvatarThe fifth avatar: Bhagwan Vishnu as a dwarf brahmachari, son of Aditi and Kashyapa, who asked the generous asura king Bali for three steps of land and covered the three worlds in two.6 temples
परशुरामःBhagwan ParashuramaThe sixth avatar: the brahmin warrior son of Jamadagni and Renuka who received his axe from Shiva, destroyed the tyrant Kartavirya Arjuna and the corrupt kshatriyas of his age, and lives on as a chiranjivi.3 temples
रामःBhagwan Shri RamaThe seventh avatar: the prince of Ayodhya of the Ikshvaku line in the Treta Yuga, who kept dharma at every cost, went into exile for fourteen years, slew Ravana and ruled in the Rama Rajya that India still holds as its ideal.38 temples
कृष्णःBhagwan Shri KrishnaThe eighth avatar, born at midnight in Mathura’s prison and raised by Nanda and Yashoda in Gokul; the child of Vrindavan, the king of Dwarka and the teacher of the Bhagavad Gita.64 temples
बलरामःBhagwan BalaramaShri Krishna’s elder brother, an avatar of Adishesha, the plough-bearer of immense strength.8 temples
बुद्धःBuddha AvatarIn many Hindu lists the ninth avatar of Vishnu, who appears in Kali Yuga in the Gaya country and turns people from violent sacrifice to compassion.3 temples
कल्किःKalki AvatarThe tenth avatar, yet to come: at the end of Kali Yuga, Bhagwan Vishnu will be born as Kalki in the village of Shambhala, ride out on a white horse with a blazing sword, end the rule of adharma and open a new Satya Yuga.0 templesThe devas
Vedic devas and the gods of the home and the road.
गणेशःShri GaneshaSon of Bhagwan Shiva and Mata Parvati, worshipped first in every puja, yajna and new undertaking as the remover of obstacles and the giver of buddhi and siddhi.32 temples
हनुमान्Shri HanumanThe vanara son of Vayu and Anjana, Shri Rama’s greatest devotee and messenger, who crossed the ocean to find Sita; a chiranjivi who lives on wherever the Ramayana is sung, and in Shaiva tradition an avatar of Rudra.20 temples
कार्त्तिकेयःBhagwan Kartikeya (Murugan)Son of Shiva and Parvati, born to slay the asura Taraka and nursed by the six Krittikas; commander of the devas, worshipped across Tamil lands as Murugan at his six battle-camps.16 temples
सूर्यःBhagwan SuryaThe Sun, the visible Deva, praised in the Gayatri as Savitr and called by the Veda the self of all that moves and stands still; the first of the nine grahas and father of Yama, Shani, Yamuna and Karna.18 temples
इन्द्रःIndraKing of the devas and lord of Svarga, wielder of the vajra and giver of rain; the most praised Deva of the Rigveda, who slew Vritra and set the waters free.1 temples
अग्निःAgniThe sacred fire, messenger between humans and devas, who carries every offering to its Deva; the first word of the Rigveda, witness of every Hindu wedding and the fire that takes the body at death.0 temples
वरुणःVarunaIn the Veda the keeper of rita, the cosmic order, who sees every falsehood; in the Puranas the lord of the oceans and waters and guardian of the west.1 temples
यमःYama (Dharmaraja)Son of Surya, the first mortal to die and so the one who found the path for all who follow; king of the ancestors and the judge who weighs each soul’s karma by dharma.2 templesDeities of the land
Forms worshipped above all in one region, each with its own great temple.
वेङ्कटेश्वरःBhagwan VenkateswaraBhagwan Vishnu as he stands on the Venkata hill at Tirumala in this Kali Yuga, with Lakshmi on his chest; the lord of the seven hills, whose temple is among the most visited places of worship on earth.17 temples
जगन्नाथःShri JagannathBhagwan Vishnu, worshipped as Krishna, in the great wooden form at Puri with his brother Balabhadra, his sister Subhadra and the Sudarshana; the lord who comes out every year to ride his chariot among the people.11 temples
धर्मशास्ताBhagwan AyyappaSon of Shiva and Vishnu in his Mohini form, born to destroy the demoness Mahishi; raised as the prince Manikandan of Pandalam and worshipped at Sabarimala as a naishtika brahmachari, seated in yoga.2 temples
मार्तण्डभैरवःKhandoba (Malhari Martand)A form of Bhagwan Shiva as Martanda Bhairava, who rode out on horseback to destroy the demon brothers Malla and Mani; the kuladevata of countless families of Maharashtra and the Deccan, worshipped at Jejuri.1 temples
विठ्ठलःShri Vitthal (Vithoba)Shri Krishna as he stands on a brick at Pandharpur, hands on his hips, waiting for his devotees; the lord of the Varkari sampradaya of Jnaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram.5 temples