Hindu iconography

So, do you know about pictures and statues of gods and goddesses that people have in their homes or temples? Those are called "icons," and in Hinduism, they have a lot of special meaning and importance.

Each icon is like a special symbol that tells a story or represents a certain god or goddess. For example, one of the most famous Hindu icons is the elephant-headed god Ganesh. When people look at a statue of Ganesh, they think about his wisdom and kindness, and they might pray to him for help with their studies or new beginnings.

Other Hindu icons might show gods and goddesses with multiple arms or different animal features, like a lion's head or a snake's body. These features all have meanings and represent different qualities and strengths. For instance, having four arms might show that a god is very powerful and can do many things at once.

People might also decorate their icons with different colors, jewels, or symbols to show even more about what they represent. For example, a red dot on the forehead of a goddess might show that she represents power and energy.

So, in a nutshell, Hindu iconography is all about using special images and symbols to represent different gods and goddesses and their unique qualities and strengths.