Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

2271 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early medieval · Hindu · India

Ananta Shayana

Saranga, Dhenkanal district, Odisha · 20.9287°, 85.2469°

Vishnu, reclining as AnantashayanaBhauma-Kara
Sacred since
800 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
early 9th c. (Bhauma-Kara)
Bhauma-Kara

History & significance

A colossal rock-cut image of the reclining Vishnu at Saranga in Dhenkanal district, Odisha, carved in the first quarter of the 9th century under Nandodbhava feudatories of the Bhauma-Kara kings. It is among the largest Vaishnava rock sculptures in eastern India.

Sthala katha — the legend

The sculpture shows Vishnu asleep on the serpent Ananta upon the cosmic ocean, with a lotus rising from his navel on which Brahma sits creating the world.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Bhauma-Kara