There are many Hindu gods and goddesses for various different purposes and with different attributes. Hindus are popularly known for worshipping and following many Gods and Goddesses. The Hindu population of the world worship and follow almost all Hindu gods and goddesses, many worship single god while accepting others.

Hinduism, best to be called as Sanatana Dharma is a very complex form of culture and religion to completely understand. Hinduism is a geographical identity whereas Sanatana Dharma is based on pure knowledge. There are many different philosophies with different views and understandings of God. Hindu dharma is also further divided into more four sects, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism & Smartism. Vishnu is considered supreme in Vaishnavism while Shaivism considers Shiva as an ultimate. Similarly, Goddess Shakti is the supreme Brahman for Shaktism.

Vedic Gods

Vedic Deities like Indra, Varun, Agni, Vayu, Surya, etc are major Vedic Gods according to Rig Veda, but they have different roles and positions in Puranas. The roles of Hindu God and Goddesses are recorded in the form of writings in various Hindu Scriptures.

In Brhadaranyaka Upanishad while discussing Brahman, Yajnavalkya is asked how many gods are there. The number 33 comes from the number of Vedic gods explained by Yajnavalkya in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad – the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the twelve Adityas, Indra and Prajapati. (Chapter I, hymn 9, verse 2)

Thus, There are 33 types of Gods!

Puranic Gods and Goddesses

Though Vedic gods are still worshipped and given a special position, Puranic, now commonly known as Hindu gods and goddesses are more popular in this modern world. 33 Type of Gods in the Vedic Era is mistranslated after puranic to 330 Million. However, there are many Gods and Goddess mentioned in various Puranas as well. The supreme Gods have infinite Swarupa, most of the Gods followed by Hindus these days are just the different aspects of the Supreme God or Parameshvara – Brahman.

Powerful Gods and Goddesses

The most powerful Gods are Hindu Trinity, Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara, which stands for Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. The most powerful Goddesses are the consorts of Hindu Trimurtis, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Parvati or Shakti. – Also Known as Tridevi

Indra, Varun, Agni, Vayu, Surya are considered powerful gods in the Vedas. If you look at the Puranas, Vishnu Purana places Lord Vishnu in the supreme place whereas Shiva Purana puts Lord Shiva in the Supreme place.

In Hinduism, every god, and goddess poses a unique attribute. For example, Lord Ganesha is worshipped for his intelligence while Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth, luck, and happiness. In puranic stories, we can find many descriptions, importance, and roles of various gods and goddesses.