About Hindu gods...

Hmm that is true ...I wonder who designed them that way.

If I worshipped gods, I don't think I would care if they were dark or light skinned... They'd still be gods, right? Worrying about skin color has never made sense to me. We're all born with the color we're born with and nothing can change that.

Maybe it is the culture and how they perceive their Gods and holy people. Having a beard might make them look unkept and not well-kept like people who worship them would want them to look. It is after all a holy person.

That is something to think about. Maybe it's something cultural as well

Something to consider I never looked at it this way. I should think the god themselves should be considered and not skin color or anything else like that,

We were quite surprised to find people that really wanted to have fairer skin and they would go to a lot of trouble to stay out of the sun and avoid getting darker. It was like racism in reverse. Very strange. Also strange about the lack of beards.

Glad that I have a discussion to reply to Doesn't mean I am going to answer all (or any) questions in the post... The marble statues indeed might have something to do with inferiority complex. We should check how long that has been happening :) Am not much of a temple-visiting type so cannot confirm the veracity... but the claim looks a valid one. In older times, statues were carved of stones, and as we know most stones have darker hues. Do we see marble statues in the caves? Coming to hiding the dark gods and goddesses as much as possible, I don't agree with the observation and the deduction. Excess of jewelry and clothing is more common in South India mainly because kings there liked to see and donate gold. Even the temples are covered with that. And for one thing, glittering gold and colorful clothes shine more on darker skin - which isn't always a pleasant view. Turmeric and vermillion observation is interesting. The only god I can recall painted with vermillion has a story explaining that. I have seen more humans painted with turmeric than I have seen gods, and I have witnessed only couple of marriage ceremonies! Saibaba is not a Hindu god, he was a saint. I don't know what color he was Maybe some people feel marble looks pious (inferiority...?) just like gold is considered pious (another major reason for all that excessive jewelry). There is only one god I can recall who is always clean shaven. He is also the one who has to take a lot of forms (including Mohini, the most beautiful woman), facial hair might come in the way of the craft! All other gods routinely appear shaven, bearded and/or mustached. They all look great.

Hmm, maybe some of your fellow Indians have some thoughts on that.

I don't know how to answer it.

I have the belief that gods and goddesses of any religion were never actually seen by human eyes so how would we know if maybe they are green or red or pink?

Why do we depict Jesus with white skin and blue eyes? Was not he Jewish? Are they white with blue eyes in that area of the world? Better not to get a headache with those questions.

As for color I would say it depends on what was used for the statue. Can't help with the facial hair

The coloring question I don't agree with coz I have seen idols made from different colors and materials. Don't forget that Vishnu and his avatars are all blue. I have seen red, orange, black, and yellow. However, the beard and mustache do seem to be missing. Even body hairs are missing.

Statues and paintings are only someone's opinion of what the God or gods look like. No one really knows, do they?

I never though of that way before. That is a good question to think about.