Vishnu, the Hindu God of Preservation is depicted riding his half-avian, half-human mount (vahana), the sunbird Garuda, as he traverses the universe preserving it against forces of chaos. Vishnu kneels on the back of the flying Garuda. Vishnu is crowned with a pointed diadem and a blossoming lotus as a finial. He is eight-armed. His left hands hold (top to bottom) a conch (shankha), bow (dhanus), shield (khetaka), and lotus (padma). His right hands hold or display (top to bottom) a mace (gada), arrow (shara), gesture of charity (varada mudra), and discus (chakra). He has a quiver (tuna) suspended from his belt and a punch dagger (katar) tucked into his waist sash. Garuda’s upright tail feathers are depicted fanlike to form an aureole (prabhavali) behind Vishnu.
See also M.73.4.10, M.77.65.2, M.79.191.24, M.86.247.2, and AC1999.127.32. Coeval Bundi paintings of Garuda flying with Vaishnava divine riders are in the National Museum, New Delhi (51.72/152); San Diego Museum of Art (1990.683); and Victoria and Albert Museum, London (D.378-1889).
