SHREE RADHA JI – THE SUPREME GODDESS

Radharani is the Supreme Goddess. She is most always seen with Lord Krishna. It is described that she is the Chief Associate and devotee of Lord Krishna and topmost of all Goddesses. She is also an expansion of the Lord's energy. Since she is also an extension of Krishna, She is the feminine aspect of God. Thus, in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, God is both male and female. They are one, but Krishna expands into two, Himself and Radharani, for the sake of divine loving pastimes.

GAURI DEVI – THE SYMBOL OF PURITY

Gauri represents purity and austerity. She is the Kanya (young, unmarried) Parvati who had undergone severe penance in order to get Lord Shiva as her husband. Sita, the wife of Lord Ram, had worshipped Gauri to fulfill her desire to marry Lord Rama. Unmarried girls worship Gauri in order to get a virtuous husband.

SHREE DURGA JI – GODDESS OF MATERIAL ENERGY

Durga is an incarnation of Devi, a unified symbol of all divine forces. Goddess Durga manifested when evil forces threatened the very existence of the Gods. To destroy these demons, all gods offered their radiance to her creation and each formed part of Durga's body. Durga also obtained very powerful weapons, such as the chakra from Vishnu and a trident from Shiva. Durga killed the powerful demon Mahish and all his great commanders. When demonic forces create imbalance, all gods unite, becoming one divine force called Shakti or Durga. She is adored by married women for a happy married life.

GAYATRI DEVI – THE MOTHER OF VEDAS

Gayatri is the name of one of the most important Vedic hymns. This hymn, addressed to Lord Surya, says, "We meditate on that glorious light of the divine Surya, may he, the lord of light illuminate our minds". Originally the personification of the mantra, the goddess Gayatri is considered the veda mata, the mother of all Vedas and the consort of the God Brahma and also the personification of the all-pervading Parabrahman, the ultimate, unchanging reality that lies behind all phenomena. Gayatri is typically portrayed as seated on a red lotus, signifying wealth. She is usually depicted as having five heads with the ten eyes looking in the eight directions plus the earth and sky and ten arms holding all the weapons of Vishnu, symbolizing all his reincarnations.

SHREE GANGA JI – THE GODDESS OF HEAVENLY AMBROSIA

The Goddess Ganga, representing the river Ganga is generally shown white in color holding in her right hand a water lily and in her left hand a lute. Purans declare that the sight, the name and the touch of Ganga take away all sins and that bathing in Ganga bestows blessings of the highest order. The cremation of dead body at the banks of Ganga and the immersion of the remains of a dead in its water after cremation elsewhere is considered propitious. Gangajal, the water of Ganga is very sacred and is used for many religious ceremonies. Those who die within specified limits of Ganga, called Gangakshetra are believed to go to the heavenly world and all their sins washed away.

SHREE KALI MAA- GODDESS OF DESTRUCTION

Kali is a ferocious form of the Divine Mother, who sent her Shakti, the Mother Gauri, to free the gods from the dominion of the demonic forces Shumbh and Nishumbh. Kali is the goddess of time and of the transformatiwon that is death. Kali also is the Kundalini energy that paralyses the attachments produced by the solar and lunar currents (both demons). Kali is the first of the ten Mahavidyas – the others are Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta and Dhumavati, Matangi, Kamala and Bagla Mukhi. Therefore Kali is also known as Adya, the firstborn. In the ignorant ones she creates fear, while far others Kali remove the fear of death.

LORD VENKATESHWARA- PRESERVER OF ALL

Venkateshwara (Venkatachalapathi of Venkateshwer) is another form of Lord Vishnu. He is also known as Balaji or Bithala. He has a dark complexion and four hands. In his two upper hands he holds a discus (a symbol of power) and a conch shell (a symbol of existence). With his lower hands extended downward he asks devotees to have faith and surrender to him for protection.

BUDDHA – THE LORD OF COMPASSION

To enlighten the world in Kaliyug, in which the true devotion to vedas was replaced by empty rituals, Lord Vishnu descended the earth as Buddha, the enlightened one. Buddha advocated the middle path, in which he offered a balanced, harmonious way of life, steering between two extremes of self-indulgence and total abstinence. Buddhism rests upon four Noble Truths – 1. Suffering is universal, 2. It is caused by desire and yearning, 3. Suffering can be prevented and overcome, and 4. Eradication of desires can lead to removal of suffering. To prevent suffering one has to conquer craving and desire and this conquest leads to the attainment of nirvana or complete enlightenment.

SHREE NARSHINGHA DEV – THE HALF LION-HALF MAN AVATAR

The special form was adopted by Lord Vishnu to kill a demoniac ruler Hiranyakashyap, who had pleased Lord Brahma with his religious offerings. Lord Brahma had given him the blessings that no known man or animal born in the natural process could kill him, that he could not die in the day or in the night, on earth or in heavens, either by fire, water or by any weapon. It was to kill such a tyrant and to remove him from the earth that Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Narasingh which was neither man nor animal, came out of a broken pillar, laid hold of the demon king by its teeth, put him up on his thighs and tore him up in the middle by his claws. It was evening time – neither day nor night.

SHREE VAMANA DEV – DWARF AVATAR

The fourth lineal descendant of Hiranyakashyap named Bali through his devotion and penance extended his authority over the three works. Once when the king was making a great religious offering, Lord Vishnu in the Dwarf Avatar of Vaman appeared before him. Bali was extremely pleased to see a holy man with such a diminutive form and promised to give him whatever he should ask. Vaman askedonly for as much land as he could measure by three steps. Bali laughingly agreed. Lord Vishnu as dwarf stepped over heaven in first stride and earth in the second stride. Then out of respect of Bali's kindness and his grandfather Prahlad's great virtues, Lord Vishnu stopped short and left him in pathal.

VARUN DEV – THE LORD OF SEAS

Varun Dev is a major Hindu god, concerned with the secure operation of the world's systems and of water. He is worshipped in southern India during ties of drought, particularly in the coastal regions where he is thought to reside in trees. He rides upon a fish or sea monster on in a chariot drawn by seven horses. His attributes are the conch, lotus, parasol, sacred thread, snake noose, trident and water jar of jewels. He is worshipped to seek blessings for success in Fishing, forgiveness for transgressions and Navigation of the seas.