Ranganatha

Ranganātha (Sanskrit : रंगनाथ, Tamil: அரங்கநாதர் ), also known as Sri Ranganatha, Aranganathar, or Ranga, Thenarangathan is a Hindu deity, more well known in South India. The deity is a resting form of Lord Vishnu, one of the foremost of Hindu Gods. His consort is Goddess Lakshmi, also known as Ranganayaki, Thayar (mother in Tamil). Most of the deities portray a 'smiling' lord in a reclining position over the celestial serpent Adisesha. This is the form in which he is open to listening to all of his devotee's woes, and blesses them. Apart from being worshipped by all Hindus, this form is of particular importance to the Sri Vaishnava community. His name is Tamil for "leader of the place of assembly" coined from the tamil words Arangam and Nathan.