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Visnu India, Tamilnada, 8th century Granite Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection, 69.13 In this southern Indian example of the Hindu god Visnu, the figure stands rigidly facing forward. He wears a tall crown, and in two of his four arms he carries his attributes, the discus and the conch. The discus is a deadly weapon he hurls at enemies of the universal order. The conch is his war trumpet to sound at the start of battle. Visnu's lower right hand is in a gesture of protection and reassurance. Since he is nearly life-size, this figure may have been a main object of worship in a Hindu shrine or temple. |