One supreme divine being
Hindu Metaphysical thought and scriptures believe in one supreme divine being. But there is an entire pantheon of deities representing various powers and functions of this omniscient, omnipotent presence.

Each of these deities has specific physical and personal characteristics. Most often, they are the creation of the collective imagination and experiences of seers and artists over thousands of years. They are figures of great beauty and grace, carved or painted with extreme ornamentation and ostentation of garments, jewellery, details of their weapons, the animals or birds in their entourage and the trees or creepers with which each of them is associated. Each deity is also portrayed in solitary splendour, with his or her consort, or with attendants and lesser deities in a group.

Images of divinity have inspired artistes, writers, poets, singers and composers over the centuries to create masterpieces of art and literature, architecture and sculpture.

While the major gods and goddesses form the main pantheon, Indian mythology includes a variety of lesser celestial beings who are part of the kingdom of heaven and perform various tasks, from making flowers bloom to shooting away darkness with the arrows of light and creating love and desire in the hearts of men, women or even sages engaged in austere meditation. All the major deities have numerous manifestations, forms, attributes and names. Particularly Shiva and Parvati or Ishwar and Devi, have as many names as there are villages in India varying in concept from region to region.