After the Vedic era, the triad of gods comprising Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva propelled to power. Among them, Brahma initially became the supreme deity, but he could not hang on to his position for long. A judgmental lapse is said to have caused his downfall. With Brahma's descent, Vishnu took over the reins and steadfastly held onto this position for centuries. Today, in the Hindu pantheon, Vishnu is a juggernaut-a word coined in his honor- and has a following of more than 700 million devotees.
In the second volume of the series The Galaxy of Hindu Gods, we continue our journey beyond the Vedic era. First we'll take a look at a popular creation myth in which Brahma emerges from the navel of a sleeping Vishnu and starts crafting the world. Further on, we'll examine the Churning of Milky Ocean, a crucial event in Hindu mythology and one of the rare occasions where gods and demons collaborated in search for the nectar of immortality. We will learn that many precious things-and surprises-came out this quest, including Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and consort of Vishnu.
There will be occasional detours when we look at art and architecture. Hindu temples are not only serene places of worship, but also one of the finest specimens of ancient art and architecture. In particular, we'll look at Angkor Wat, one of the largest Hindu temples in the world. We'll also peek at ancient paintings from a mythological perspective. Next we'll examine a unique genre of miniature paintings called ragamala that combines art, music and poetry. A remarkable shift in worship took place during this period. Bhakti transformed into a major form of worship supplanting sacrifice and penance, and pervaded throughout the Hindu society