About the Hindu gods in MauritiussteemCreated with Sketch.

in religion •  5 years ago  (edited)

The following post is one of two that I've set aside to share with @thekittygirl.

I especially went to take photo's of the hindu gods found at our local beach and the shrine where many of the locals come to pray and worship.

No offense meant to any Hindu worshippers as I did this post because I am intrigued by the different gods and what they represent although it is not my religion.

If anyone can help identify the different gods please do so. Google ain't being very helpful.

Ganesh the elephant god

Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rites and ceremonies. Info from: Wikipedia

I've tried to Google now to find some of the names of the gods I photographed but I feel slightly stumped at reading that the Hindu religion has something like 33000000 (thirty three million) gods. To me that is a lot.

Hanuman the monkey god

Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman Ji, the monkey God. He is the symbol of strength and energy. Hanuman is worshipped for his unyielding devotion to Rama and is remembered for his selfless dedication to the God. (source www.bbc.co.uk)

Not sure who this god represents

It may be Lakshmi

Lakshmi's name comes from the Sanskrit word ​laksya, meaning an aim or goal. She is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, both material and spiritual. Lakshmi is depicted as a four-armed woman of golden complexion, holding a lotus bud as she sits or stands upon a massive lotus blossom. The deity of beauty, purity, and domesticity, the image of Lakshmi is often found in the homes of the faithful.
Source: https://www.learnreligions.com/top-hindu-deities-1770309

Could this be Durga?

Durga is the mother goddess and she represents the fiery powers of the gods. She is the protector of the righteous and destroyer of the evil, usually portrayed as riding a lion and carrying weapons in her many arms.
Source: https://www.learnreligions.com/top-hindu-deities-1770309

I think this is Shiva although I can't be sure

Shiva has four arms because they represent the four cardinal directions. Each of Shiva's hands either hold an object or are shown making a specific gesture. The upper right hand often holds an hour-glass drum. ... Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and is also known as "Nataraja" or the "Lord of the Dancers."
Source: https://www.reference.com

Bull-god

Bull-gods are as ancient as humans. ... So, basically, the bulls in the Bible represent more or less what they represented to other people and religions: a powerful fertility symbol and the preferred sacrificial victim (the bull sometimes was the surrogate for human sacrifices).
Source: https://www.quora.com

The prayer area at the beach

I am not at all convinced I've got the gods named correctly as the photos on Google definitely differs from my photos that I've taken this morning so feel free to correct me if needed.

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Photos are all my own*

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Love the colorfull inriched statues in the religion.

It always catches my eye when I go to the beach. The bright cloths are often exchanged once the colors dull from the sunlight. Thank you for stopping by ☺️

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Wow.... You really did a good work and gave a full judgement to showing this to all. It's quite educative and awesome to see and read about. Thanks for this

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@kayda-ventures my pleasure. Thank you for stopping by. 😊

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You are most welcome ☺

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandi_(bull

The one that I think saying might be Shiva, looks like Kali, severed head, tongue out, also carries a trishula..

Ultimately Hinduism is interpreted how ever it best suits the individual. For me it's monotheism at its core and the gods are masculine and feminine expressions of the trinity Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer..Depending on the region and the timelines there will be various attributes and traditions ascribed to each manifestation.

Vishnu for instance has 10 incarnations with the final form yet to come. Some claim Jesus is one of the avatars, some say it's blasphemy. What I love about Hinduism is that it's not technically a, religion. In fact Hindu just describes a geographical location, the vedas can be taken however one chooses with no central authority dictating the meanings..

@skramatters thank you for your input. I was not sure about it being Shiva or Kali but the pictures of Kali on Google looks more female as this one resembles a male. But I am not sure at all so don't mind me. 😊 Thanks for stopping by to read and comment.

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Thanks for your informational post.

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My pleasure. Thank you for stopping by to read and comment. ☺️

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The one you think is Shiva is for sure Kali. And the second from last is Ram (center) his wife Sita (right) and his brother Laxman (left). Kneeling down is Hanuman.

Thank you for setting me right. It's very hard to find accurate information on Google as the interpretations are all different. I will edit my post accordingly today. Much appreciated. 😊 Thanks for stopping by to read and comment.

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You are most welcome. I actually just noticed on the picture with Ram, Sita, Laxman and Hanuman there are 2 more statues on the side. One is Ganesha and the other is also Kali.

I have a little bit about Hindu religion, (Ganesha, Kali, Hanuman, Durga ). I love to know about religion to be honest, it's fascinating...I respect that also...

I myself know very little @priyanarc but I tried to Google some info on this although it wasn't so easy to find the correct info. However. Thank you for stopping by ☺️

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Thank you @dkkarolien, very strange the Hindu religion, the quantity of Gods is immense and the figures that take well differentiated, thank you for taking the time and the care to take the photographs with the respect and the consideration towards the Hindu culture that although we do not share its religion we owe respect to it, but it is important to know it and you show us a part. Thank you and happiness always

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I feel slightly stumped at reading that the Hindu religion has something like 33000000 (thirty three million) gods.

Actually, if one reads the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas, all of the many religions that fall under the umbrella of "Hinduism" have only one God. However, that one God can appear in an unlimited number of forms. It's similar to how the Jewish scriptures describe their God as a "spirit, walking through the Garden of Eden" in Genesis, but then later appearing as a "burning bush" to Moses, then appearing as a disembodied finger writing on a wall to the prophet Daniel, and so forth. One God, many forms/aspects.

The first of your photos is definitely Ganesh/Ganesha, as you said, and then Hanuman in the second photo! The third and fouth photos are different representations of Lakshmi/Laxshmi, the personification of Abundance of spiritual gifts. The one you thought to be Shiva is actually the consort of Shiva in her representation as Kali, who does battle with the demons that wreak havoc on mankind. The last is Nandi, the bull, upon which Shiva sometimes rides and guards the place where Shiva lives.

I like the photos of the spot on the beach, especially that last one! Such a lovely area! Thank you for getting all those photos together in a post and tagging me! 😃

Interesting article and photos, @dkkarolien! Unfortunately, I know as much about the subject as you do... so I can't really know for sure if you got it right or not! But I applaud your effort of trying to dig out that info, to add to your post!