Are these the Angels or Devathas who gives punishments and rewards?
The concept of God is explained in Hindu Dharma through the teachings in the holy texts of Vedas and Agamas. The Vedic scholars performing fire worship through Veda mantras and worship God as Supreme Paramatma, also perform rituals to do their offerings to such Celestial forces like Indra, Varuna, Prajapthi, Agni, Surya and the nine planets. A knowledgeable Hindu knows that these are not the Supreme God who is referred to as Paramtma, but they are only Devas who are subordinate to God. The object of worship for a Tãmasika Devotee is to the various Devathas and Celestial Forces as also to some forms of Supreme God. This is true for both followers of Vedas as well as Agamas. The object of prayers for Rãjasikha Devotees with the devotion form or Bhakthi path of worship is to Supreme God as the Saguna Brahman with various manifestations or Avatharas. The object of worship for a Sãthvika reaching the Supreme with Jnãna path in the Vedantha or the Advaitha philosophy is the formless Divine as Nirguna Brahman who is understood through meditation, Spiritual experience and intuitive knowledge.

Here, in the Dwaitha and Visishtadhvaitha philosophy, those who reach a higher form of worship with understanding in Parã Bhakthi path offer their prayer to the supreme as Savisesha Brahman, God with attributes but beyond our comprehension. Now we see the concept of One God and several Devatas here. However, everyone prays to the small Devathas also. In this, most people who cannot reach that high standard of understanding the Divine, follow the Aparã Bhakthi paths to worship an Avathara or manifestation of the Supreme of remain worshipping the Devathas, to reach the supreme through this path,. Some are quite satisfied with worshipping just the Devathas only or pray to the good or bad devathas seeking various benefits or ward off the evil effects. Vedic Rituals are performed with various offerings in order to pacify the Devathas, as they receive their sustenance by the Vedic oblations only. They do get disturbed if we do not perform our nitya karmas properly.

Most villagers, who are illiterate, have no knowledge of the philosophy of Hindu Dharma and of the complexities of Theologies of a formless all powerful Supreme God. They often followed their faith at the Tamasika levels. Still they understood and accepted some of the basic principles of the faith but followed the traditions blindly, as they were told to by their elders. As they worshipped gods of fear who are angry, understood only the Celestial forces of nature and the angels or Devathas. Most followers of various sections of Hindu Dharma, especially those who are at the Tãmasika level of Hindu Devotional practice strongly believe in them as they are able to understand that. For most people, it is quite satisfying just to offer their prayers and perform rituals to these angels who are referred to as Devas, Devathas and Demi-gods than to a formless Supreme God whom they cannot visualize or understand.

These Devathas also support and govern our lives and activity, rewarding or punishing the people from time to time. Even the independent thinking persons among us who first think that they themselves plan and act in all their daily activities, soon realize that it is these Devathas that direct all the actions and their consequences. These Angels get pleased by our traditional rituals and proper activity and may get angry when we do not perform our karma or offer our ritualistic prayers. While the learned ones amongst us may not be willing to agree or accept the statements made here, the fact is that people with lesser understanding of the True nature of the Supreme God are just satisfied with this level of faith and understanding. Even the learned ones, at all times accept the Devathas of the lower strata in their daily rituals and in the prayers.