Vishnu: The God of The Universe
Known as the protector of humanity, Lord Vishnu is one of the three supreme deities along with Lord Shiva and Brahma. Together, they form the “Trimurti”. Lord Vishnu is the preserver of the universe, Lord Shiva, the destroyer, and Brahma, the creator. He is believed to have powers that surpass any other Hindu God.
In Hindu mythology, He has been portrayed in a black to a blue hue depending on the varied cultural depictions. The Lord is usually depicted as having four arms wherein the upper-right hand holds the Sudarshan Chakra, lower-right hand holds the Kaumoda ki Gada, the upper-left, holds the Panchajanya Shankha, and the lower-left holds the Padma. All these elements symbolize the powers of Lord Vishnu. The bow of Lord Vishnu is known as Sharga and his sword is known as Nandaka. He is also accompanied by his wife, Goddess Lakshmi.
It is believed that when the Earth faced hard times, Lord Vishnu came to protect it in various avatars to maintain the balance between the good and the bad. It is believed that, he was reincarnated 9 times. He came as a fish, Matsya which was his very first earthly manifestations. He then assumed the form of Kurma, the tortoise to bear the weight of a mountain on his back. Lord Vishnu returned to Earth the third time as Varaha, the boar, who then fought a 1000-year war with a demon. He was reincarnated in the next life as Narasimha, the Man-Lion, to guard a young devotee against a demon. His very first human manifestation was that of Vamana.He subsequently returned to earth as Parshurama, the Lumberjack. After which came one of Lord Vishnu’s most famously known avatars, that is of Lord Rama. He also played a crucial role as Lord Krishna during the Battle of Kurukshetra.
Lord Ranganatha, the resting form of Lord Vishnu, is located at the famousLord Vishnu Temple, Sri Ranganatha Temple at Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli in the state of Tamil Nadu. Sri Ranganatha rests in a reclining pose on the coiled serpent with five hoods named Adisesha. This form is called Shantakaram Bhujagshayanam, which means a quiet Lord Vishnu resting on the serpent. It is known to be his most peaceful form. It is said that in this form, he is open to listening to all the woes of his devotees’ and make them disappear. You can feel the presence of this calmness at the Srirangam Temple.Thetemple is one of the most distinguished and foremost Vishnu Temples in India among the 108 DivyaDesams dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It has a diverse architecture based on its history over the years. Comprising of a rich and varied Dravidian Architecture. This large Vishnu temple structure has won UNESCOAsia-Pacific award for cultural heritage conservation program in the Awards of Meritcategory (Year 2017). It is the first temple from Tamil Nadu to grab the prestigious honor from the UN body. Visiting this temple is equivalent to being close to Lord Vishnu himself.
