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Prayer (Sanskrit: प्रार्थना, romanized: prārthanā) is considered to be an integral part of the Hindu religion; it is practiced during Hindu worship (puja) and is an expression of devotion (Bhakti). The chanting of mantras is the most popular form of worship in Hinduism. The Vedas are liturgical texts (mantras and hymns). Stuti is an umbrella term for religious literary creations, but it literally means "praise."
The Hindu devotional Bhakti traditions place a focus on repetitive prayer, known as japa. Prayer is centred on the personal forms of gods and goddesses, such as Vishnu's avatars, most notably Rama and Krishna, Shiva, or Shiva's sons such as Kartikeya and Ganesha, as well as Mahadevi, the supreme goddess, and her forms, such as Lakshmi or Kali.
The human aspire to the highest truth, the underlying monism of Hinduism, pertaining ultimately to the one Brahman, began before the ritual process, before the invocation of diverse deities for the fulfilment of varied needs. The Gayatri Mantra was part of all Vedic ceremonies and is still invoked in Hindu temples all over India and other countries around the world today, exemplifying its essence.
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