It is as Krishna that Vishnu is especially beloved. Krishna, who embodies the divine love between god and human beings, is known as a mischievous baby, a young boy, a cowherd adored by many, a slayer of demons, and a great lover.
This statue depicts the story of Krishna's encounter with the multi-headed serpent-demon Kaliya. According to myth, Krishna was raised in the countryside by gopis (females who tended the cows). When he was a youth, Kaliya lived in a whirlpool in the sacred river Yamuna, terrifying the population and spreading his poison throughout the land.
When Krishna chased after a ball that had fallen into the whirlpool, Kaliya captured him. Krishna grabbed the central head of the serpent, forcing the demon to bow. Then he danced on Kaliya's head and sent him back to his natural environment, the ocean.