Vishnu on Garuda

In Hinduism, Vishnu is the preserver and maintainer of the established order. Whereas Shiva is Lord of the Beginning and of the End, Vishnu is the deity who oversees the middle ground, avoids extremes, and maintains orthodoxy. The standard depiction of Vishnu is four-armed standing upright wearing a crown. He carries a conch shell, lotus, a club, and a discus. His vehicle is the bird Garuda depicted here in the usual form as part human, part bird.