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The South
Asian Life & Times - SALT |
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Cover Story
Tech Stories 2011 Adventure &
Sports
Environment
Vishnu - Hinduism's
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SALT Book Picks 2011
Vishnu, one of Hinduism’s holy trinity, is known by
many names in mythology – but first and foremost he is a savior – the
Preserver. While Brahma creates and Shiva destroys, Vishnu combats chaos and
brings balance and order on Earth. He is also the most worshipped deity.
Though a composed and a tranquil God, he has at times taken extreme action
to protect and maintain order in the chaos. This book reveals how and in
what form. It introduces Vishnu through art. The legends of Vishnu are presented together with
illustrations his role as savior and at times his participation in creation
and destruction. But the bulk of the book is on the avatars of Vishnu
usually celebrated as a group of ten (Dashavatars) There are separate
sections on each of his avatars – Matsya the fish, Kurma the tortoise,
Varaha the boar, Narasimha the man-lion, Vamana the dwarf, Parshurama the
Brahmin, Rama the prince, Krishna the cow-herd prince, the Buddha, and Kalki
– the avatar of the future. The heroes of India’s two great epics – Ramayana
and Mahabharata were identified as avatars of Vishnu (Ram and Krishna). Though it is a companion book to the exhibition on
Vishnu, bearing the same title – it is not a catalogue. It is a non-esoteric
introduction to the icons, myths, and traditions of Vishnu, written in a
style that makes the stories and characters enjoyable and easy to
understand. It is tranquil and serene – just like its subject.
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