Once Upon a God
a storybook atlas
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Open the atlas of the divine.
Eighteen figures across four great traditions, told for curious families — rich for grown-ups, graspable for children.
The gallery
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Ganesha
गणेश · Hindu
Krishna
कृष्ण · Hindu
Rama
राम · Hindu
Shiva
शिव · Hindu
Hanuman
हनुमान · Hindu
Durga
दुर्गा · Hindu
Lakshmi
लक्ष्मी · Hindu
Saraswati
सरस्वती · Hindu
Vishnu
विष्णु · Hindu
Kartikeya
कार्तिकेय · Hindu
Indra
इन्द्र · Hindu
Buddha
बुद्ध · Buddhist
Tara
तारा · Buddhist
Padmasambhava
पद्मसंभव · Buddhist
Mahavira
महावीर · Jain
Parshvanatha
पार्श्वनाथ · Jain
Guru Nanak
गुरु नानक · Sikh
Guru Gobind Singh
गुरु गोबिंद सिंह · Sikh
the shrine spread
Saraswati
सरस्वती · Hindu · goddess of learning
Saraswati plays the veena and carries a book — the goddess of music, poetry, and every question a curious mind can ask.
Vehicle
A white swan, who can tell milk from water mixed together
Symbols
The veena, a book, a lotus, a string of beads
Festival
Vasant Panchami (late winter) — students begin new books this day
Temple
Gnana Saraswati Temple (Basara, Telangana)
Mantra
ॐ ऐं सरस्वत्यै नमः — Om aim Saraswatyai namah
lantern quiz
8 questionsscore your family
Which vehicle does Ganesha ride?
Little lanterns, big questions — see how many stories your family remembers.
Light the lanterns →