16th March – 弥生
Seven gods who brings luck for people. Worshiping them will avoid seven calamities and brings seven happiness. It has been believed among common people.
七福神 (Shichifukujin) has been well known in Japan and been worshiped from very long time ago. Those seven gods ride on the ship called 宝船 (Takara-bune), shipping many happy objects and seven gods – each gods have different background (Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto etc) and brings different lucks to people.
恵比寿 Ebisu
The god of great business and good haul, harvest. The only god who was born in Japan. Hold sea bream on the left hand, fishing rod on right hand.
大黒天 Daikokuten
The god of fortune, good luck, descendant prosperity. He has the background of Hinduism god, Lord Shiva’s incarnation. Carrying huge bag and holding magic mallet.
毘沙門天 Bishamonten
The god of talisman and fortune. He is the Indian god and wearing armor. He is the only god who looks angry and also known as the god for fight. Holding pagoda on left hand, halberd on right hand.
弁財天 Benzaiten
The god of music, language, knowledge, fortune and relationship. She is the only female god in the seven lucky gods and came from Indian water god. Wearing angel’s raiment and hold instrument called Biwa (string instrument).
福禄寿 Fukurokuju
The god of long life and standing career. He is Chinese Taoism long life god, looking like an elderly man aged 1000 years old. He has long head, long beard with big earlobes. Turtle and crane is described together and holding cane on right hand.
寿老人 Juroujin
The god of long life and curing illness. Dear (implies long life) is drawn together and hold fun (believed as getting rid of bad luck) and peach (symbol of long life).
布袋尊 Hoteison
The god of happy laugh, happy family and good relationship. He is the only god who has the actual person model, Chinese Zen monk. It was believed that his fortune telling never missed marks. He has big belly, happy smiling face and carrying big bag.
As it was explained in the previous blog, Japanese tend to believe many gods. Maybe this was the reason that seven lucky gods were gathered as all those gods have different lucks!
Little Japan Dictionary 
Loved it.
I am pleased to know my own people are also mentioned here.
大黒天 Daikokuten is called the same reincarnation of Shiva. Where I guess 毘沙門天 Bishamonten is called Hanuman in and I am dead sure 弁財天 Benzaiten is called Saraswoti (also a goddess of education) in Nepal and India. That’s the reason we never kick and leg the books in India and Nepal. Still, to these days books are the form of education and we worship it as goddess Saraswoti.
(P.S: India and Nepal are the only two Hindu Nation in the world. We are spiritually, emotionally and with great relationships connected and loved by each other. It is unimportant to read that I myself was born in India but raised in Nepal)
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