The Trimurti is the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities. Typically, the designations are that of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. The Om symbol of Hinduism is considered to have an allusion to Trimurti, where the A, U, and M phonemes of the word are considered to indicate creation, preservation and destruction, adding up to represent Brahman. The Tridevi is the trinity of goddess consorts for the Trimurti.
Parvati, also known as Uma and Gauri, is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is one of the central deities of the goddess-oriented sect called Shaktism, and the supreme goddess in Shaivism. Along with Lakshmi and Saraswati, she forms the Tridevi. In her complete form, she is a physical representation of Mahadevi also known as Adi Shakti, the primordial power behind the creation of the universe, the creator and destroyer according to Shaktism.
Chamunda, also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu mother goddess, Adi Parashakti and is one of the seven Matrikas.
Chhinnamasta, often spelled Chinnamasta, and also called Chhinnamastika and Prachanda Chandika and Jogani Maa, is a Hindu goddess (Devi). She is one of the Mahavidyas, ten goddesses from the esoteric tradition of Tantra, and a ferocious aspect of Mahadevi, the Hindu Mother goddess. The self-decapitated nude goddess, usually standing or seated on a divine copulating couple, holding her own severed head in one hand and a scimitar in another. Three jets of blood spurt out of her bleeding neck and are drunk by her severed head and two attendants.
The Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple was built around the 7th century CE and is an example of South Indian Architecture.
Bhairava, or Kala Bhairava, is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva. In the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, Bhairava represents the Supreme Reality, synonymous to Para Brahman. Generally in Hinduism, Bhairava is also called Dandapani, as he holds a rod or danda to punish sinners, and Svaśva, meaning, "he whose vehicle is a dog". In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is considered a fierce emanation of boddhisatva Mañjuśrī, and also called Heruka, Vajrabhairava, Mahākāla and Yamantaka.
The Shakta pithas, Shakti pithas or Sati pithas are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Adi Shakti. Various Puranas such as Srimad Devi Bhagavatam state the existence of a varying number of 51, 52, 64 and 108 Shakta pithas of which 18 are named as Astadasha Maha (major) in medieval Hindu texts.
Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṝkā, lit. "mothers") also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group of seven, the Saptamatrika(s) (Seven Mothers). However, they are also depicted as a group of eight, the Ashtamatrika(s). In the Brihat Samhita, Varahamihira says that "Mothers are to be made with cognizance of (different major Hindu) gods corresponding to their names." They are associated with these gods as their spouses or their energies (Shaktis). Brahmani emerged from Brahma, Vaishnavi from Vishnu, Maheshvari from Shiva, Indrani from Indra, Kaumari from Kartikeya, Varahi from Varaha and Chamunda from Chandi. and additionals are Narasimhi from Narasimha and Vinayaki from Ganesha.
The Annapoorneshwari Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Annapoorneshwari (Annapoorna), located at Horanadu, Karnataka, India, 100 km from Chikmagalur in the thick forests and valleys of the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It is situated on the banks of river Bhadra.
Akhilandeshwari is one of the main forms of the Hindu Goddess Adi Parashakti. The famous abode of Akhilandeshwari is the Jambukeswarar Temple in Thiruvanaikaval. She is also revered collectively with the goddesses Meenakshi and Kamakshi, forming the Trishakti triad, the most powerful goddesses in Shaktism. The goddess’s name is split into three components. “Akhila” means the universe, “Anda” means cosmic egg, and “Ishwari” means the divine mother. Therefore, Goddess, the divine mother who protects the entire universe in her womb, is known as “Akhilandeshwari”. Akhilandeshwari is the presiding deity in the Jambukeswarar Temple in Thiruvanaikaval along with her consort Jambukeswarar, who is an avatar of Shiva.
Tamil mythology refers to the folklore and traditions that are a part of the wider Dravidian pantheon, originating from the Tamil people. This body of mythology is a fusion of elements from Dravidian culture and the parent Indus Valley culture, both of which have been syncretised with mainstream Hinduism.
Annapurna, Annapurneshwari, Annada or Annapoorna is a manifestation of Parvati and is known as the Hindu goddess of food and nourishment. Worship and offering of food are highly praised in Hinduism, and therefore, the goddess Annapurna is regarded as a popular deity. She is a manifestation of the goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva, and is eulogized in the Annada Mangal, a narrative poem in Bengali by Bharatchandra Ray. The Annapurna Sahasranam is dedicated to the goddess and praises her one thousand names, while the Annapurna Shatanama Stotram is dedicated to her 108 names.
Devī is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is deva. Devi and deva mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
Varahi is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven mother goddesses in the Hindu religion. Bearing the head of a sow, Varahi is the shakti of Varaha, the boar avatar of the god Vishnu. In Nepal, she is called Barahi. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, she is venerated as Dandini.
Bhikshatana or Bhikshatana-murti is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as the "Supreme mendicant" or the "Supreme Beggar". Bhikshtana is depicted as a nude four-armed man adorned with ornaments who holds a begging bowl in his hand and is followed by demonic attendants and love-sick women.
Kandeeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva located in Kandiyur also known as Thirukkandiyur or Tirukkandiyur, near Tiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Kandeeswarar, and is represented by the lingam and his consort Parvati is depicted as Mangalanayagi. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil poet saints known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. As per legends, Shiva is believed to have destroyed eight different demons and the eight Ashta Veeratanam temples are built signifying each of his victories in the war. The temple is one of the eight where Shiva is believed to have removed one of the five heads of Brahma.
Bhairava Ashtami, also known as Bhairavashtami, Bhairava Jayanti, Kala-Bhairava Ashtami and Kala-Bhairava Jayanti is a Hindu holy day commemorating the manifestation of the deity Bhairava, a fearsome and wrathful manifestation of the god Shiva. It falls on the eighth lunar day (ashtami) in the fortnight of the waning moon in the Hindu month of Kartika or Margashirsha. By both schemes, Bhairava Ashtami falls on the same day in November–December-January. The name Kalashtami is sometimes used to refer to this day, but might also refer to any ashtami in Krishna paksha, all of which are days sacred to Bhairava.
Kiruthivakesvarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located at Soolamangalam near Ayyampet in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, India.
Mayana Kollai is a festival celebrated after Shivarathri on the first full moon day of February at the Angala Parameswari temples in Tamil Nadu, India. It is widely celebrated as Angala Parameswari Amman is the deity worshiped by the followers of Goddess Shakti in the form of Goddess MahaKali. Shakthi, the formless goddess associated with creation itself was reborn as Parvati. This was when Sandobi and Sundaran, two demons, terrorized the gods and men. Brahma, the Creator god performed yagna for protection against the demons. Out of this yagna Tilottam, an apsara appeared. Attracted by her beauty, the demons and Brahma started following her. She consequently sought refuge in kailash abode of Lord Shiva, where Brahma followed her. Brahma, like Shiva, had five heads. This was the reason why Parvati mistook him for her husband and fell at his feet in an act of submission. Angered by this, Shiva in the form of rudra beheaded the fifth head of Brahma and thus invoked a curse upon himself; the curse enabled the head to remain attached to his right hand and did not allow him to eat. The head (Kabala) was consuming all the available food instead of Shiva himself. He became a mendicant and roamed Earth begging and for food, sleeping in graveyards.
