Lord Vishnu, the Preserver and Protector Of the Hindu gods and goddesses, Lord Vishnu embodies goodness and mercy. He is represented seated on the serpent Shesha. Vishnu never sleeps and is the Hindu deity of Shanti, peace. He has four weapons or attributes: the conch, disc, club and lotus. In the cosmos, good and evil forces are balanced. When this balance is disrupted, Vishnu takes a human form to set it right. There are nine avatars or incarnations of Vishnu. These are Matsya (fish), Kurma (turtle), Varaha (boar), Narasingha (lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parasurama, Ram, Krishna, Buddha. Kalki is the future incarnation which is to come at the end of Kaliyuga.

The stone carving tradition in India is one of the richest in the world. Stone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Art of Stone Statues and Collectibles is the poetic expression of stone craft. Sculptures of Hindu deities, modelled on classical prototypes, continue to be made in many parts of India. In Tamil Nadu such sculptures are made in granite. In Karnataka, exquisite figures carved in relief in black stone, with details engraved in fine lines, come out in greyish- white against the black surface. Softer stones are used in Orissa, which are easy to carve. The fully carved jali-worked, in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, are most intricately done. The artisans in Gujarat are engaged in the art of cutting and polishing semi-precious stones. One can see the life like images being skill fully sculptured in different varieties of stone across the state. In Jaipur, white marble is used for carving out statues of gods and goddesses as well as animal and human figures.