Hindus honor thousands of deities, and every Hindu has a favorite god, but Ganesha is "a god that is chosen by almost everybody because he is the remover of obstacles," says Indian studies professor S. N. Shridhar.

“He is the maintainer, the preserver, the one who saves the earth over and over and over again, “ says Joan Cummins, curator of the Brooklyn Museum’s exhibition “Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior.”

At the central jail in Bhopal, India, the prison superintendent says a yoga program calms the jail’s atmosphere and speeds the release of inmates.

Bhavana Gupta says her generation will go to a Hindu temple in New Dehli and say, "Let's give the priest 500 rupees to have him do a good prayer service for us." But the younger generation questions this traditional Hindu practice and asks why.

Hindu goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi are worshiped and honored with fire, water, prayers, chants, and other offerings.

Monu Harnal describes the Hindu holiday of Diwali, celebrating the end of the year and many events in the lives of the some of Hinduism's most important deities.

The ancient Hindu practice of kirtan is a call-and-response form of meditation that is gaining popularity here in the U.S.

This weekend, Hindus around the world celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. For some Hindus, Diwali coincides with a special worship service for the powerful goddess Kali, who represents opposites such as life and death, creation and destruction.

In India, it is not common to find a Siva and Vishnu temple under one roof, but Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Maryland manages to bring Hindus of these rival traditions together and promote greater unity and diversity.

This week, Hindus are celebrating the festival of Diwali, which means "row of light." Menaka Kannan, who participated in a colorful celebration of Diwali in Landover, Maryland, describes the origins and customs of the Diwali holiday.