Lord Vishnu is regarded as a major god in Hinduism and Indian
mythology. He is considered as the Preserver of the universe and is the
member of the Trinity of Gods in Hinduism. The idol of Lord Vishnu is
represented as the God having four hands. The first hand holds a conch
shell (sankha) indicating spread of the divine sound "Om";
the second hand holds a discus (chakra), which symbolises the
wheel of time; the third one holds a lotus (Padma) which is an
example of glorious existence and the fourth hand holds a mace (Gada)
indicating the power and the punishing capacity of the Lord in case the
discipline of life is ignored. His vehicle is the swift-flying bird Garuda, which is capable of spreading Vedic knowledge with great courage. The consort of Lord Vishnu is Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth.
According to Hindu Mythology, Lord Vishnu is represented in two postures. In one, the God rests on the bed of the powerful, coiled serpent, Sheshnag, who represents the sleeping universe. In another form, Lord is depicted in a standing posture. Lord Vishnu is also known as Hari, the Remover.
Lord Vishnu is most popularly identified with his Avatars (incarnations) especially Krishna and Rama. He is also frequently referred to as Narayana.
Vaishnavite Hindus also worship Vishnu in an abstract form (i.e., God with vague form) as a Shaligrama stone. Worshiping the Shaligrama is similar to the worship of Lingam, a form of Shiva.
The idol of Lord Vishnu is usually made of the following materials :
- Ashtadhatu
- Brass
- Stone
- Parad/Mercury