Introduction
The Hindu pantheon is known for its variety of gods and goddesses. Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu are the most important male gods, often presented in one image called the Trimurti. Brahma is said to embody Brahman, the ultimate impersonal energy that constitutes the universe. Vishnu and Shiva are worshipped in various mundane forms. Vishnu appears in ten or more avatars or incarnations, among them, the gods Rama and Krishna. Shiva is able to take on multiple and changing forms, ranging from the fertility icon of the linga or phallus to the ferocious village god Bhairav. There are also many female deities in the Hindu pantheon. Jointly represented as Devi, the goddess, appears in many individual personifications. Sita and Parvati are celebrated as ideal wives and mothers; Durga and Kālī are known to be independent women and even ferocious destroyers of evil forces. Scholars and practitioners debate the nature of Hinduism. Some say it is polytheistic and has as many as 33 million gods. Others argue that Hinduism is monotheistic and all the many images and idols are only appearances, aspects, and manifestations of one single, all-embracing divinity.
The representation and mediation of the gods and goddesses always played an important role in Hindu society. Their representation in images and idols is traditionally mediated in religious ceremonies and rituals. Darshan, the physical-spiritual eye contact between idol and devotee, is celebrated as the ritual transfer of divine bliss. Epic stories and myths tell about the gods relating and illustrating their divine power and activities in various mythological settings. Famous here in particular is the grand narration of the Ramayana, which tells the story of the god and divine king Rama who fights an epic war against the evil forces of the demon king Ravana in order to rescue his kidnapped wife Sita, thereby reestablishing dharma, universal order, in his kingdom and the world.
