Indian Hindu Holy Figure: "Vishnu"

This is an Indian Hindu statue of Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation. Hindus often display and decorate figures of their gods as part of their devotions. Vishnu is typically depicted with dark or blue skin. He is shown with four arms. One hand holds a conch shell. Hindus believe that blowing into the shell produces the sound of the beginning of the universe, "Aum". Another hand holds the universe spinning around his index finger.

Hindus believe that when the world is out of balance, Vishnu sends an avatar of himself to earth, coming in another form to set the world right. Hindus believe that, so far, there have been nine avatars.

Rama is one of the most famous avatars, thought of as a perfect model of a prince. The Ramayana tells the story of how Rama, with the help of the monkey god Hanuman, rescues his wife who has been stolen by a demon king. Rama kills the demon king and he and his wife return to their kingdom.

Krishna is another famous avatar, known for qualities such as love, duty, compassion and playfulness. He is often shown with a flute. The story of Krishna is told in the epic Mahabharata.

Hinduism is the oldest living religion, about 4,000 – 5,000 years old. Hindu people believe that Brahman is the creator, preserver and transformer of existence. Gods that are part of Brahman include Vishnu, the preserver god, and Shiva, the god of destruction. Hinduism came from India. No one person founded the religion. There are many Hindu holy books. Hindus honor their deities through worship. Hindus tell stories of the ways that the gods interact with each other and with humans. Hindus believe in rebirth after death (reincarnation); their goal is to escape the movement of the soul into another body and to become one with Brahman.

Source:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vishnu
https://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/articles/vishnu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu
https://www.learnreligions.com/who-is-krishna-1770452