Why do Hindu Gods have animals?

Symbolism. In Hindu iconography, positive aspects of the vehicle are often emblematic of the deity that it carries. Nandi the bull, vehicle of Shiva, represents strength and virility. However, the vehicle animal also symbolizes the evil forces over which the deity dominates.

Why do Hindu Gods have animal faces?

Ganesha is considered as the remover of obstacles who provides success, prosperity and fortune. Various other Hindu deities have animal features like Lord Hanuman, Varuna, Kamadhenu, the Nagas, the Vahanas (animal mounts of the Gods) and four of Vishnu’s ten incarnations (fish, turtle, boar and half-man-half-lion).

What animal does Vishnu ride?

Vishnu, the Preserver/Protector mounts an eagle-like creature called Garuda.

Is Hindu an animal god?

Each Hindu deity has a particular animal-vehicle or vahana on which it travels. Often, elaborate cultural mythologies exist explaining how each animal became the vahana of a particular deity, and sometimes the stories involve the transformation of lesser gods into the vahana of a major deity.

Why do gods have vehicles?

All Gods and Goddess are depicted with particular vahanas (Vehicle). These Vahana are the representation of the various energies (animal energies) that exists in the universe as well as in human beings and they need to be controlled and channelled properly so as to transform ourselves spiritually.

Which god vehicle is dog?

Shiva, in his aspect as Bhairava, had a dog as a vahana (vehicle) (mentioned in the Mahabharata).

Who is the rain god in Hinduism?

Indra
Indra is sometimes referred to as “the thousand-eyed.” In later Hinduism, Indra is no longer worshipped but plays the important mythological roles of god of rain, regent of the heavens, and guardian of the east.

Is there a Goddess of dogs?

Originally Gula was a Sumerian deity known as Bau, goddess of dogs. As dogs became associated with healing, Bau transformed into a healing deity. Damu was the central Sumerian god of healing who combined the magical and ‘scientific’ approaches to disease.

Who is strongest god in the world?

Zeus is arguably the most powerful, most famous and most interesting of all the gods in all the pantheons of the world.