Gods and Goddesses of Buddhism and Hinduism

	DIPANKAR Dipankar Buddha is a deity of Mahayana Buddhism. He is the 'Enlightener' and one of the earliest of the many assumed predecessors of Gautama Buddha added as the twenty fifth. He is said to have come from Deepavati, a mythological city. At the moment of his birth there was a miraculas manifestation of a large number of bright lamps (Dipa), hence he was named Dipankar. Dipankar Buddha is believed to have lived 100000 years on earth. Dipankar Buddha represented with the right hand in Abhaya Mudra and left shows the Varada. He is either sitting or standing with the monastic garment draped over the left shoulder with pleated edges, where as the lower garments is pleated in a manner of a flowering skirt.
	DURGA Durga is a wrathful form of Parvati. She is also known as Mahishamardini, one who killed the demon Mahisha. She is represented with many arms with a weapon in each hand. Her right foot is supported by her mount, the lion, the left poised on the subdued demon, her left hand holding the tail of her victim, thrusts the trident into the body of the demon killing him apparently at the very moment when he is about to draw his sword in self defence. She is sometimes shown setting astride on her mount, the lion with four hands holding a sword, a club, a lotus flower and a dire. Her face always remains calm and gentle.
	EKADAS LOKESWAR Avalokiteswara, in his manifestation with eleven heads, is Samantamukha or the 'All sided One' the God who looks in every direction to protect all creatures. In this form he is known as Ekadas Lokeswar. Avalokiteswara "The Compassionate one", descended into hell converted the wicked, liberated them, and conducted them to Sukhavati, the paradise of his spiritual father, Amitabha. Avalokiteswar discovered that for every culprit converted and liberated another instantly took his place and legend claims that his head split into ten pieces from grief and despair on discovering the extent of wickedness in the world and the utter hopelessness of saving all mankind. Amitabha caused each piece to become a head, and placed the head on the body of his spiritual son, Avalokiteswara, in three tiers heads of three with the tenth head on top and his own image above them all. Thus, the "One looking Lord" was endowed with twenty two eyes instead of two, to see all suffering, and eleven brains instead of one, to concentrate on the best means of saving mankind. The three tiers of heads indicate that Avalokiteswara looks down on the three world, world of desire, world of live form and world of no form.
	GANESH Ganesh, the elephant headed God of wisdom and success is the defender and remover of obstacles and has to propitiated first before worship to other Gods. He is one of the sons of Shiva. He is known as "Sidhi Data" or bestower of success in the work. His elephant head has only one full tusk, while the other is broken. He said to have lost it in a fight with Parasuram. It is also said that he broke it to write the Mahabharata to the dictation of sage Vyasa. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom and his mount an emblem of sagacity. His mount is the "Mooshika" called shrew. He is also known as Vinayaka.