a belief in only one god

Christianity Judaism

Islam Sikhism

a belief in many gods

Hinduism

Hinduism differs from the four other major world religions in that it is polytheistic. This means that Hindus believe in more than one god. Male gods are called ‘deva’ and female gods are called ‘devi’ in the Hindu language of Sanskrit.

Hindus believe that there are three great gods called the Trimurti. These are

the three expressions of the universal supreme god.

Vishnu the preserver Brahma the creator Shiva the destroyer

The Tridevi are the three main goddesses of equal importance in Hinduism.

Saraswati Lakshmi Parvati

Brahma is the god of creation. He has four arms and four faces each of which looks in one of the four directions. Each of Brahma’s four heads is believed to be responsible for one of the four Vedas (the sacred Hindu scriptures). Brahma’s four arms carry symbols of power - a goblet, a bow, a sceptre and the Vedas. In Hindu creation stories, Brahma brings the universe into being. He is the husband of the goddess Saraswati.

Saraswati is the goddess of learning, knowledge and the arts, such as music. Her swan is a symbol of knowledge and she is sometimes shown with a peacock which is said to symbolise the arts. She taught her husband, Brahma, the ability to think, understand and communicate. Hindus may worship Saraswati in order to seek her aid with their studies or their musical skills. She is worshipped at the festival of Saraswati Puja.

Vishnu is the Hindu god responsible for protecting the universe. His four arms carry symbols of power - a discus, a lotus flower, a conch shell and a mace. His role is to return to Earth during troubled times to restore the balance between good and evil. Rama and Krishna are two of his human forms (incarnations). His wife is Lakshmi.

Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and beauty. She is shown with four arms and standing on a lotus flower. Hindu’s believe that if she is worshipped she will bless them with fortune and success. She is often pictured holding lotus flowers and pouring gold coins from her hand or a pot. Worship of Lakshmi is part of the celebration of the festival of Diwali.

Shiva is the god of destruction. His role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it. He is seen as the source of both good and evil. He is often depicted with a third eye, representing wisdom; a cobra necklace, representing destruction and recreation; a trident, representing the Trimurti, and ‘vibhuti’, three lines drawn across the face to represent his power.

Parvati is the mother goddess, the source of all energy, power and creativity in the universe. She is often surrounded by symbols of love and marriage. Parvati is also known in different forms, including Shakti, Durga and Kali, the black goddess, wears a necklace of skulls and her tongue drips blood - she is the goddess of death.

Parvati’s son, Ganesha, has an elephant’s head and a human body. He has one broken and one unbroken tusk, symbolising the perfection and imperfection in the world. Hindus pray to him when they are about to begin something new, such as getting married or starting a new job.

Indra is the king of heaven. He wields a thunderbolt, creates thunderstorms and provides rain. He fights wars against the opponents of the gods and so is considered the god of war. The rainbow is referred to as Indra’s Bow.

Agni is the god of fire. Fire holds a special place in many Hindu ceremonies, including weddings. He lives on Earth among humans, rather than with the gods and delivers messages between them.

Surya is the Sun god. He is shown as a warrior on a chariot pulled by seven white horses. Hindus believe that placing the sign of the Sun over main doors will bring them good luck.

Vayu is the god of air and life. He is the father of Hanuman and considered a heroic fighter.

Hanuman is the Hindu monkey god, who is mischievous and likes to play tricks. He is well-known for hi role in the story of the festival of Diwali.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9yWwFWpbRo&feature=youtu.be

Click the button below to watch a video about Hindu creation story.

Choose your favourite Hindu god or goddess. There are several pages about Hindu gods and goddesses at the website below so you can do some more research on them: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z44bcj6/revision/1 Write down some facts about your god or goddess in your book. Finally, draw a picture and colour it in.