Rama and Sita

Rama is the 7th avatar of Vishnu

Whenever a god takes a 'human' form, such as Vishnu's incarnation as Rama the duplicate heads and arms are often abandoned.

Rama - the hero of the Ramayana, which like the Greek Iliad, is a story of a war which was caused by the abduction of a noble woman, Sita.

This shows Rama and Sita with the gods Brahma, Siva, and Ganesh behind them.


Krishna Subduing Demon Kaliya-a serpent demon

Chola bronze 16th c.

Krishna is the 8th avatar of Vishnu

The mythology around Krishna is the most colorful. Krishna appears in the Mahabharata, the Sanskrit epic that is eight times longer than the Iliad and the Odyssey put together. The basic subject of the epic is the struggle and war between two families closely related to each other.

But Krishna is the most accessible of the major Hindu deities. He is a loyal ally of humans and always helps his friends. His worship is popular all over India and there are sacred shines to him. Popular prints are sold at the shrines so that visitors can take them to friends and relatives when they return home.

In Hinduism there is a concept known as Bhakti.

Bhakti is the emotional attachment and love of a devotee for his or her personal god. This is common in the worship of Krishna who is an avatar of Vishnu.