(14.3.20) Favourite flowers of gods and goddesses

What are the favourite flowers of Hindu gods and goddesses ? देवी -देवताओं के प्रिय पुष्प 

Flowers are the part and parcel of the Hindu Pooja. But some flowers are considered more favourite and dearer to the particular god or goddess. The following is list of different gods and goddesses and their favourite and dear flowers -
Lord Shiva - The favourite flowers of Lord Shiva are -
Aak, Shankhpushpi, kaner, chameli, palas, khas, tagar, naagkesar, maulsiri, kaas, dhatoora etc.
Lord Vishnu - The favourite flowers of Lord Vishnu are -
Kamal, maalati, maulaashree, asok, champa, joohee, kadamb, chamalee, kevaraa etc.
Durga - The favourite flowers of goddess Durga are -
Ashok, Maadhavee, kevaraa, gudhal, amaltaash etc.
Lord Ganesh - Lord Ganesh is pleased with the red coloured flowers. Green durvaa grass is very dear to Lord Ganesh.
Saraswarti - White coloured flowers are offered to goddess Saraswati.
Goddess Lakshmi - Lotus flower is very dear to Goddess Lakshmi.

(14.14.1) Folk deities/ Folk gods and goddesses

Folk gods and goddesses /Who are folk deities / Common things about folk deities

Who are called folk deities - Some saints and warriors do some unprecedented and miraculous deeds in their life time so they are designated as folk deities.
Common things about folk deities -The following are the common things about folk deities are as follows -
> Due to their miraculous task, people believe that they have supernatural powers.
> They used local dialect to preach people so that even common person can understand them.
> There are some deities who are equally worshiped by the Hindus as well as the Muslims.
> They worked for the uplifting of the people in general.
> Some of them sacrificed their lives for the protection of animals, trees and rights of the common people.
> They are still worshiped with faith and devotion.
> Fairs are held at different places in the owner of folk deities.
> Folk deities may be either male (folk gods) or female (folk goddesses).

(14.1.7) Hindu gods and their Vehicles / Vahan

In the Hindu religious scriptures we find that many gods and goddesses have their vehicles or Vahan. These Vahans have their spiritual and symbolic value . Some of the gods and their vehicles are as follows :-

(1) Vishnu - Vishnu is the protector of the universe. The vehicle of Lord Vishnu is 'Garud' (Eagle). It can fly very high and can see the things even from a long distance. It is the symbol of foresight and prudence.

(2) Ganesh - Lord Ganesh is the god of intellect. He is also the remover of obstacles. The vehicle of Lord Ganesh is 'Mouse'. Mouse is the symbol of Reasoning, the faculty of distinguishing good from bad.

(3) Durga -  Durga is the goddess of  strength and power. The vehicle of goddess Durga is 'Lion'. The lion is the most powerful animal. It is the symbol of courage and strength.

(4) Lakhsmi - Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.The vehicle of Lakshmi is 'Owl'. It is said that an owl cannot see in the day time. This weakness of the owl shows that one must not go astray the right path when one gets wealth. One must not stop seeing the things from the right angle.

(5) Saraswati - Saraswati is the goddess of learning, knowledge,music and creative arts. The vehicle of Saraswati is 'Swan'. A swan is the symbol of discrimination.

(6) Shiva - Lord Shiva is the god of benediction. The vehicle of Lord Shiva is 'Nandi, Bull'.

(7) Indra - Indra is the god of rain. He is also the ruler of heaven and the king of the gods. The vahan of Indra is 'Erawat Elephant'. An elephant is the symbol of glory and dignity.

(8) Sun god - Sun is one of the Panch Devas of the Hindus. The vehicle of Sun god is a chariot which is drawn by seven horses. The chariot and the horses seem to show that it is only the work that keeps the world going on.We must continue our journey till we reach our destination.    

(9) Kartikey - Kartikey is he god of war. The vehicle of Kartikey is 'Peacock'.

(10) Yam - Yam is the god of death. The vehicle of Yam is 'Male Buffalo'. 

(11) Sheetala Mata - The vehicle of goddess Sheetala is a 'Donkey'. A donkey is the symbol of hard work, endurance and tolerance.

(14.3.1) Panchdev / Five Gods in Hinduism

 Five Gods (Panch Dev)

 Panchdev(पंच देव कौन हैं ?)

According to the Hinduism five gods are the chief gods. These five gods are Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh, Shakti and Surya. According to the Hindu scriptures, these five gods are worshiped during every religious activity.

The following shloka is mentioned in ' Shabad Kalpadrum Kosh ' -

Aadityam Gananaatham cha devim rudram cha keshavam.

Panch daivatyaamityuktam sarv karmasu poojayate. ( Matsya Puran )  

 आदित्यं गणनाथं च देवी रुद्रं च केशवम्

पञ्च दैवत्य मित्युक्तं सर्व कर्मसु पूजयेत् ( मत्स्य पुराण )

Surya, Ganesh, Durga, Shiva and Vishnu (सूर्य, गणेश, दुर्गा, शिव और विष्णु )- these five are called Panch devas. They should be worshiped in all the religious activities. There are five elements in the  universe. They are earth, water, fire, air and ether. Each of the five gods is the lord of one of the five elements. Lord Shiva is the lord of Earth, Vishnu is the lord of ether, Bhagavati Devi is the lord of fire, Ganesh is the lord of water, Surya is the lord of air 

( Source - Shri Ganesh Ank page 45 and Nitya karam pooja prakash page 105 ).  
Related Posts - 
(14) Material related to different Gods 
(14.1.1) Lord Ganesh
(14.4) Goddess Durga 
(14.6.2) Shiva Gayatri Mantra