Gods and other religious figures
In Hinduism there are many god-like figures. This countless number of gods and goddesses gives the impression that one can experience the divine in any given way. If one was to ask a Hindu what was their favorite god, one would receive multiple answers but if one was to ask what's the difference between the gods and goddess they would reply with the answer, "Well of course all Hindu gods and goddesses are the god or divine energy, nameless and without form- only in this particular form I like my Hindu gods and goddesses best".
Although there are many religious figures, there are four main sections within Hinduism religion. In Shaivism, Shiva is worshiped as the main god. For Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the main god. Thirdly there is Shaktism, in which the female aspect of god is primarily worshiped and lastly, there is Smartism. Smartism is when six main gods are worshiped: Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Ganesh, Murugan, and Surya.
Although there are many religious figures, there are four main sections within Hinduism religion. In Shaivism, Shiva is worshiped as the main god. For Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the main god. Thirdly there is Shaktism, in which the female aspect of god is primarily worshiped and lastly, there is Smartism. Smartism is when six main gods are worshiped: Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Ganesh, Murugan, and Surya.
No matter what gods a Hindi worships, all Hindis worship the Hindu Trinity. The Hindu Trinity is made up of the Lord Brahma (who is the creator), Lord Vishnu (the preserver), and the Lord Shiva (the destroyer). It is important to notice that the main three gods are all male. The Hindu Trinity is always in place. According to Hinduism, creation and destruction is always occuring. For instance, the morning has to die before noon can be born and noon has to die before night is born. Overall, there are many gods and goddesses in the Hindu culture but the Hindu Trinity is always doing their job by keeping the world moving and living.
Lord Brahma is composed of his mind and intellect, his thoughts control everything. If one has bad thoughts, then there will be a bad world. If one had good thoughts, there will be a good world. If thoughts are absent there just simply is no world, for instance when one is sleeping. Viewing his picture below, one may see that he is sitting on a lotus. The lotus represents Reality and how Lord Brahma is ever-rooted to it.
Lord Vishnu on the other hand, is thought of to save the world when it is heading down the "wrong path". Occasionally the balance of power is shifted by evil and Lord Vishnu must turn into his human form and save mankind. Lord Vishnu is depicted to contain the lotus flower with open petals which is supposed to symbolize the unfolding of creation. His conch is symbolizes as the form in which all existence originates. Lord Vishnu is called many names, which is a repetition of his name, which is regarded as an act of devotion.
Lord Shiva is thought of to be the god of destruction. In his picture, the white background symbolizes purity. If one contains purity, they can see and connect with their divine self. Recognizing your divine self is thought of to be looking in a pool of water. If your thoughts are dirty, then one cannot see their reflection, aka divine self, but if your thoughts are clean and pure, one can find their supreme self. Once one is in contact with their divine self, then they are in the state of Shiva. Lord Shiva is also known as Gangadhar which literally means the carrier of the Ganga (the river Ganges). In modern times, the Ganges is recognized as a place of mecca. Shiva is also said to carry the Ganges in his locks
Below is a graph of some of the few Hindu gods and goddesses (Not the Hindu Trinity) that are also worshiped: