Various methods of worship-prayers, sacrifice and rituals-are the practical aspects of religion, more practiced in the villages. God is treated either as having a form (sakar) and without a form (nirakar). Prayers are performed to placate gods and goddess at various places of worship, like temples or in family temples, as a duty in the practice of religion. Sacrifices, as a religious practice, includes giving away of alms (grains, clothes, cash, etc.). Animals are also sacrificed in order to placate god and goddesses. Rituals, as religious activities, are performed in order to maintain religious and social purity.
http://www.mypurohith.com/Epics/Hindu_Manners.asp
When the Bromo volcano reacted with strong eruptions the couple had to sacritice the youngerson during the tull moon night of the month of Kesoto. Since then the Hindus of Java, to placate gods who sometimes shake earth, compelling the inhabitants to get away, thrcw offers into the volcano during a full moon night ot the month ot Kescto. Got at the top of the volcano, offers are thrown into the crater, where tens and tens ot mendicants are ready to catch them. catching what they can, before everything falls at the bottom of the crater Beggars are Moslems, poor people who live in the surroundings and come here to benelit from this shower of foods, poultry, cigarettes and money. So, everyyearitisrepeatedthespectacle ol who offers tc gods and who goes on a little more with theses offers!
http://www.cesil.com/febbraio99/indeng.htm
Another son of Shiva and Parvati is Ganesh, or Ganapati, the Lord of the Ganas (the hosts of Shiva), who has a male human's body with four arms and the head of an elephant. One myth claims that he originated directly from Parvati's body and entered into a quarrel with Shiva, who cut off his human head and replaced it later with the head of the first animal he found, which happened to be an elephant. For most worshipers, Ganesh is the first deity invoked during any ceremony because he is the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles. People worship Ganesh when beginning anything, for example, at the start of a trip or the first day of the new school year. He is often pictured next to his mount, the rat, symbol of the ability to get in anywhere. Ganesh is therefore a clever figure, a trickster in many stories, who presents a benevolent and friendly image to those worshipers who placate him. His image is perhaps the most widespread and public in India, visible in streets and transportation terminals everywhere. The antics of Ganesh and Karttikeya and the interactions of Shiva and Parvati have generated a series of entertaining myths of Shiva as a henpecked husband, who would prefer to keep meditating but instead is drawn into family problems, providing a series of morality tales in households throughout India.
http://www.indianchild.com/shiva.htm