During the Later Vedic Period, Prajapati or Brahma, the creator became the supreme God, and Agni and Indra lost their former importance. While Vishnu was worshipped as The Preserver, Shiva was regarded as The Destroyer. Yagnas were held on most occasions and the simplicity of nature worship was lost. Sacrifices were also performed. Later, emphasis began to be laid on penance called Tapasya. The doctrines of karma, dharma, and moksha began to be emphasized. Religion laced with sacrifices and rituals strengthened the position of the Brahmins, and they came to be regarded as possessing divine powers. Important deities of the later Vedic period are
Important Deities of the later Vedic period
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Lord Rama and Lord Krishna became popular deities during the Epic period. Durga, Kali, and Parvati emerged as the important female deities.
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The Vedic Period
The age of history in which the Vedas were composed in the Indian subcontinent is known as the Vedic Age. The Vedas were composed by the Aryans. There are four Vedas—the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Arthaveda. Read more
The Age of the Guptas
The Gupta Empire ruled the country from AD 320 to AD 540. It was not as large as the Mauryan Empire, but it politically united the North Indian territories for more than a hundred years. Read more
The Mughal Empire
The weakness of the Delhi Sultanate and political disunity thereafter led to the establishment of Mughal rule in India. The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur after he defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. Read more
The Medieval India – South india and Cholas
The Chera kingdom was one of the earliest kingdoms in South India. They were later defeated by the Pallavas in the 4th century AD. In the 10th century, the Cholas became a powerful kingdom in the South. Read more