Stories 3

All kinds Origin Legend Local story Folk tale From the epics Festival story Temple legend In stone and bronze How a tradition frames it

Everywhere Pan-India 95 South India 67 West India 30 East India 22 North India 15 The Himalaya 12 Northeast India 5 Southeast Asia 4 Central India 4

Tradition: Vaishnava · clear

Festival story · 4 tellings · contested

Four Vishnu stories behind Diwali

Rama's return in the north, Narakasura's death in the south and west, Lakshmi's wedding night in Puranic lore, and Bali's return in the Deccan and Gujarat.

Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Krishna

North India Pan-India South India West India

Festival story · 2 tellings · contested

Mahabali comes home for Onam

Kerala remembers Bali as the just king pushed under the earth by Vishnu's dwarf, who returns each year at harvest to see his people.

Mahabali, Vishnu, Bali

Pan-India South India

Festival story · 2 tellings · contested

Vrinda's curse and the wedding of Tulsi

Vrinda, deceived by Vishnu in her husband Jalandhara's form, curses him and is reborn as the tulsi plant, whom Vishnu marries every year.

Tulsi, Jalandhara, Vishnu, Shiva

Pan-India West India