Lord Vishnu
विष्णु — The Preserver
Iconography & Symbolism
Dark blue skin (representing infinity, like the sky). Four arms holding: Sudarshana Chakra (discus), Panchajanya Shankha (conch), Kaumodaki Gada (mace), and Padma (lotus). Wearing a crown (kirita), Kaustubha gem, and Vaijayanti garland. A Shrivatsa mark on the chest.
Story & Mythology
Vishnu sleeps on the cosmic serpent Adishesha in the Kshira Sagara (ocean of milk). From his navel grows a lotus upon which Brahma sits. Whenever evil rises, Vishnu descends as an avatar. As Rama, he destroyed Ravana. As Krishna, he guided the Pandavas and delivered the Bhagavad Gita. As Narasimha (half-man, half-lion), he destroyed Hiranyakashipu to protect the child devotee Prahlad.
Sacred Mantras
Major Temples
- 🛕Tirumala Tirupati Balaji (Andhra Pradesh)
- 🛕Badrinath Temple (Uttarakhand)
- 🛕Jagannath Temple, Puri (Odisha)
- 🛕Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam (Tamil Nadu)
- 🛕Padmanabhaswamy Temple (Kerala)