5 Indian Goddesses Every Woman Should Know

Have you ever wondered how many deities are there in Hinduism?

Well, incredibly India has one of the world's largest religious diversity, having 33 Million deities. These deities are renowned for having specific powers. Hindus worship one Supreme Power, but with different names, depending on the different cultures, areas and languages. 

The divine female forms in Hinduism are attributed to Shakti and are considered as necessary as the male Gods. Goddesses in Hindu tradition possess both creative and destructive powers. For any form of life, there is a goddess for each aspect of womanhood. Five such Goddesses, whose qualities need to be adopted and are believed to bring happiness, prosperity, wealth and success in life and are worshipped the most, are given hereinbelow.  

LAKSHMI: The Goddess of Prosperity.

Goddess Lakshmi is one of Hindu mythology's most popular goddesses. She was born in the churning of the Ocean of milk. She is Lord Vishnu's wife and known as the Goddess of wealth, prosperity and good fortune.

Lakshmi is portrayed as a beautiful woman with four arms, standing on a lotus flower with two elephants on her side. She is also shown as sitting with Lord Vishnu and massaging her feet. 

People worship her & other Hindu gods statue with great respect. In fact on the occasion of the festival of Dhanteras and Diwali, Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. This divine power fulfils all material wishes of her devotees.  

PARVATI: The Goddess of Fertility

Parvati, the daughter of mountains, is the wife of Lord Shiva and Hindu Gods Ganesha, Kartikeya and Ashok Sundari. Apart from being lord Vishnu's sister, she is also considered a rebirth of Devi Sati. Parvati, who is represented by the yoni, is considered essential while worshipping Lord Shiva. 

She is known to be the Goddess of fertility, love, beauty and marriage. Goddess Parvati, along with Lakshmi and Sarasvati, forms a group known as Tridevi in Hindu Mythology. Parvati is considered to be a very grounded, gentle, caring goddess. She was a loving mother, dedicated wife. A lion named Dawon is her vehicle.  

KALI: The Goddess of Death & Time:

Kali, derived from 'Kal' or Time, is one of the most revered and worshipped Goddesses. She is known as the kaal for her enemies. She is portrayed as black, wearing a necklace of severed heads, tongue sticking out oozed with blood, and possessing a human head and many arms in her 18 hands. She has Lord Shiva beneath her feet. She is considered a very bold, courageous and spiritual mother figure who protects against evil by destroying it. She possesses destructive as well as benevolent nature. 

She is one such supernatural being, who protects her worshippers on one side and destroys the evil on the other side. She is a feminist icon who had laid the path for destroying one's ego and evil. During ones' difficult times, she inspires to put up a ferocious fight and overcome all odds coming in the path of success. She proves to be a strong mother who is cruel to be kind. She is therefore known as the Divine Mother capable of creation, preservation and destruction. 

SARASWATI: The Goddess of Knowledge:

She is the Goddess of knowledge, music & literature. Saraswati means pure water. She is portrayed to be having four arms. One holding a book representing the embodiment of knowledge; second, having crystals signifying the power of meditation; the third hand playing the Veena which stands testimony to her expertise in art forms and the fourth hand, had a pot of sacred water symbolising purification powers. 

She is the force behind the writing of India's most spiritual Veda – the Rigveda. She is considered to be guiding the souls of the deceased to find peace in their afterlife. Her birthday is celebrated during the onset of spring and is known as Basant Panchami. Honey is offered to this Goddess as a symbol of knowledge. So, to embark the upcoming festive season, choose among the large variety of brass idols of Hindu gods online & worship with utmost devotion.

DURGA – The Warrior Goddess:

In Hinduism, the Goddess Durga is also known as Shakti, the protective mother of the universe. This powerful warrior mother goddess is known for combatting evil forces and devils to maintain peace, prosperity and the dharma. Durga is depicted as having three eyes, i.e. the left eye representing desire, the right eye representing action and the middle eye representing knowledge, symbolised by fire. She has multiple hands and holds a conch shell, bow and arrows, lotus, Sudarshan chakra, a sword and a Trishul in her different hands. She uses a Lion as a vehicle. 

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva created goddess Durga to combat the evil Mahishasura. Her victory of the demon is celebrated every year. To pay respect to the deity, Durga Puja and Navratri are celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the country. She had many incarnations, and she came to earth in many avatars.