Vishnu Statue Riding Garuda 19"

Vishnu is majestically seated on his vahana or vehicle, the eagle king, Garuda.  His 8 arms are fanned out like rays of the sun.  In his bottom right hand going clockwise Vishnu holds a club, arrow, discus, conch, bow, noose, trident and lotus.  His other hand is held up in the abhaya mudra or "fear not" hand gesture.  This shows that Vishnu's devotees have nothing to fear from Vishnu the preserver.  Vishnu rides upon Garuda.  Garuda is the eagle king who is usually depicted having  a golden body, white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and wings but a man's body.  He wears a crown on his head.  He is ancient and huge, and can block out the sun.  However, in this modern representation the artist, has depicted Garuda as a large eagle without any of the human characteristics that Garuda usually has.  Garuda, like any eagle, is eating a snake.  His claws are dug into a snakes body and his beak is about to grasp a snakes head.  Another large, 5 headed cobra is raised above the head of Vishnu in a protection posture. 

About the Black Marble:  The black marble, called sange-rathek, is found in Jhansi, in the state of Bihar, India.  The stone is known for its wonderful deep black/blue color and the colored purple and yellow veins that flow through the stone.  Looking into a piece of sange-rathek is like staring into deep space and seeing distant galaxies.  It is a very unique and wonderful stone.  Sculpture is very rare to find in this stone because there are seldom pieces of raw stone large enough to accommodate a full-sized sculpture.

"Only the unlearned deem myself (Vishnu) and Shiva to be distinct; he , I , and Brahma are one, assuming different names for the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe.  We, as the triune Self, pervade all creatures; the wise therefore regard all others as themselves."
~  Vishnu explains the Nature of the Trinity (trimurti ~

Vishnu is one of the principal Hindu deities, worshiped as the protector and preserver of the world and restorer of dharma (moral order).  He is known chiefly through his avatars (incarnations), particularly Rama, Krishna and Buddha.  In theory, Vishnu manifests a portion of himself anytime he is needed to fight evil, and his appearances are innumerable; but in practice, ten incarnations are most commonly recognized. 
Vishnu appears to be a prime example of how older gods and cults have been absorbed into Hinduism.  Thought to be linked with an earlier sun god, Vishnu's ten incarnations may also be examples of older gods that have been amalgamated.
Vaishnavites, one of the largest Hindu groups, are the devotees of Vishnu as Ishvara, the Supreme Being, worshiped in the forms of his manifestations or incarnations.  Because of his pervasive presence, images as the focus of worship are of great importance, as are temple architecture and carving.

The Ten Avatars of Lord Vishnu

Vishnu's preserving, restoring, and protecting powers have been manifested in the world in a series of ten earthly incarnations known as avatars.  The avatars arrive either to prevent a great evil or to affect good upon the earth.  Nine are said to have descended already: three in nonhuman form, one in hybrid form and five in human form.  The most important are Rama, fearless upholder of the law of dharma  and Krishna; youthful hero of the Bhagavad-Gita  Vishnu's final avatar is expected to arrive at a time when the earth is at the end of its present cycle, with the purpose of destroying the world and subsequently recreating it.
Matsya the Fish - Saved humanity and the sacred Veda text from the flood.
Kurma the Turtle - Helped create the world by supporting it on his back. 
Varaha the Boar - Raised the earth out of water with his tusks.
Narashima, half-man, half lion - Destroyed a tyrant demon king.
Vamana the Dwarf - Subdued king Bali, a powerful demon.
Parashurama the Brahmin - Destroyed the warrior caste.
Rama - Rescued his with Sita and killed the demon Ravana.
Krishna - told the Epic poem Bhagavad-Gita to the warrior Arjuna.
Buddha - The enlightened one.
Kalki the Horse - Yet to come to the earth.

Click here to learn more about Vishnu

The piece is for indoor use only. Dust the piece as needed using a cotton piece of cloth. You can really make it shine if you use a cloth to buff the surface.

USA Shipping

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This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping. The shipping charge is automatically calculated by UPS for shipping within the United States. Each sculpture is usually shipped within 24 hours of the order with the exception of the weekend. To obtain a shipping quote simply add the statue you are interested in to your shopping cart and then select click on the "Calculate Domestic Shipping" button. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.

International Shipping

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This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping to anywhere in the world. If you are in Canada please select "UPS Standard to Canada" for the shipping option. If you are an international customer please select "International Shipping" during checkout. The shipping charge will be calculated as $0. Lotus Sculpture will email you the correct shipping cost subject to your approval or you may call us at 760-994-4455 or email us at info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.