When there is One God who is formless and Omnipresent, then why do we read all these stories and pray to the several forms of Gods? Why not just read the philosophy and get all the benefits and good life?

Prayers, Mythology and Rituals are more like a vehicle to support and carry our thoughts, [understanding our Faith and Philosophy] like Fire, a Utensil, Water and dry Rice are all needed to cook Rice suitable for consuming, though Rice is the only essential material for the food.

"In the course of Hinduism's development, whenever religion erred by emphasizing on rituals or dogma as the only means to the highest goal, a sound rational philosophy put it on the right path. Whenever intellect claimed the role of the sole path finder, Religion showed the futility of mere discursive reasoning and stressed the importance of worship as a discipline for communion with the Ultimate Reality."

Hinduism accepts the reality that there are varying intellectual and spiritual levels in understanding the faith among people and all can not take the same path though the goal to reach is the same. Therefore, it offers different approaches to different individuals as it permits the greatest of freedom of worship. It allows doubts and questioning and accepts every one. Each person is being guided by his own reasoning and spiritual experience and not by any dictatorial religious guidance by a dogma.

......The greatness of Hindu religion lies in its ability to make ordinary people with different levels of understanding to comprehend the faith and practice it at different levels of devotion without departing away from the core of the faith and its principles.......

........ From Ancient times Philosophy has saved the Hindu Devotee from religious bigotry and religious rituals have saved him from ivory tower attitude of mere cold intellectualism........

"Avathara or Divine Manifestation is the descent of God on earth for the ascent of man, with the establishment of rule and spiritual discipline."

"Worship the Avatharas at all times with all your heart and all your mind. Glorify Him in your heart and keep Him ever in your thoughts. He will soon reveal Himself to you and you will feel His presence. This will lead on to attaining Immortality and Eternal bliss."

"Unity in variety is the plan of Nature, and the Hindu has recognized it. Every other religion lays down certain dogmas, and forces the society to adopt them. It places before the society one coat which must fit Jack, John and Henry, all alike. If it does not fit John or Henry they must go without a coat to cover their body. The Hindus have discovered that the Absolute can only be realized, or thought of, or stated, through relative, and the images, crosses and crescents are simply so many symbols - so many pegs to hang the spiritual ideas on. It is not that this help is necessary to everyone, but those that do not need it have no right to say that it is wrong. Nor is it compulsory in Hinduism."