Hinduism

To Hindus, there's not one God; there are millions.

Busy little shrines in the holy city of Varanasi. I'm meeting historian Benda Paranjape to find out how Hindus see their gods.

At every corner of the lane, you see a shrine. No corner can leave without having a god there.

So, like we have got this small little shrine here, and it has got that elephant-headed God, Ganesha.

Ganesha, yeah, it's a god that removes obstacles.

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Yeah, Hindu deities come in many forms. Some are male, some female, some are part human, part animal. Each one has its specific powers.

So, she's a goddess of disease.

So, disease, yeah. So when you're diseased, your body gets inflamed. Then you invoke her, and she sends the cool breeze, and the body gets cool.

All right, here's a question for you. You've got a choice of how many millions of gods do you choose?

Usually, it's the family. Each family has got one family deity, and that is passed on to the next generation.

Or sometimes, in times of distress, one goes to a god and says, 'Please take me out of this difficult time, and forever I'll worship you as my personal god or goddess.'