Hinduism is the oldest major religion still in practice in the world. There are two distinct classes of Gods in Hinduism: the Vedic Gods and the Brahmanic Gods.

The Vedic Gods were the Gods of the primitive agricultural peoples of the very earliest times. The Vedic Gods were elemental powers. The Brahmanic Gods had a more refined form of worship similar to that of the Vedic gods. The Brahmanic Gods appeared about fifteen centuries or more before the birth of Christ. The Brahmanic Gods, Brahma The Creator, Vishnu The Preserver, and Shiva The Destroyer, form a trinity. Besides the 3 Gods, Hindus also worship more than a thousand other Gods, each of which perform a specific funtion.

The belief in Hinduism's many Gods leads to many legends including stories of various magical creatures such as Garuda and Naga.