Oxhey World - India

A picture or statue of a Hindu God is called a murtis. All Hindus have a murtis of their chosen God in their house.

All Hindus find their own way to understand God but they believe there is one highest God called Brahman. He is seen as 3 different major Gods - Brahma (the maker), Shiva (the destroyer) and Vishnu (the preserver). There are also lots of other, less important, Gods. Some say there are thousands even millions.
Brahma - the maker	Shiva - the destroyer	Vishnu - the preserver
Brahma is seen as the maker of the world and the universe. He is the god of wisdom. Statues of him show he has 4 faces pointing to North, South, East and West. Because the creation of the world and universe is finished he is not usually worshipped.	Shiva destroys bad things like wars and diseases. He is also the Lord of time. He has 3 eyes so that he can look at the past, present and future.	Vishnu can take on many forms. He can be seen as different animals or humans. He is worshipped when things go wrong. Sometimes Vishnu is seen as Krishna where he is playing the flute.

Ganesha is one of the most popular Hindu gods. He has an elephant’s head and a man’s body. He is the god of wisdom and “new starts”. He looks after Hindus when they are doing something new such as moving house, going on a journey or getting married.

Hindu gods are treated as living things. They are washed, fed and dressed during the day.

At the beginning and end of prayers, meditation and readings Hindus say the sound Aum. It is sometimes written as Om too. You can often see it written on cards, painted on walls or even as a 3D model.

	Shrines are found all over India. In people's homes, at the sides of roads, in cities and towns as well as inside mandirs.