The worship of feminine deities or Devis is a distinctive feature of Hinduism. It is a popular and ancient tradition to worship Devis. Mother Goddess was worshipped in some form by people in the Indus. Besides Agni, Varuna, Indra and Brahmanaspati, other female deities were also worshipped by the Vedic people. The mother of gods was Aditi who gave birth to solar deities or the Adityas. The goddess of learning was Saraswati who is compared to a river. The goddess of wealth, Lakshmi brought prosperity and happiness to people who worshipped her. While heaven is compared to Brahmanaspathi, Indra and Prajapathi, the Earth is also called Mother Earth. The goddess of dawn is Usha who symbolizes the rising of the sun in a golden chariot and also one who awakens consciousness.
With gradual assimilation and expansion of the Vedic religion, other sectarian movements and religions like Vaishnavism and Saivism, a complex and interesting character was attained by the Hindu Pantheon. The concept of the universal male deity and female deity gained popularity. Associating one or more female Devis with each male deity became customary. Characteristics of a large family were thus acquired by the Indian Pantheon in the process. Devis are described to be the purest and highest of divinities, possessive, subject to emotional outbursts, loved, pampered with undivided and unconditional love by their consorts. The Devis are indistinguishable and inseparable in their purest states.
The four aims of human life namely moksha, dharma, kama and artha can be achieved by worshipping the female powers or divinities in homes and temples. According to Hindu mythology, the ascent to higher consciousness can be facilitated by purifying and cleansing bodies and minds by surrendering to the divine Devis.
