Vishnu is a part of the holy trinity of Hinduism along with Shiva the destroyer and Brahma the Creator.He is flanked with his two consorts Shreedevi and Bhudevi each holding a lotus flower. Vishnu holds a conch shell, discus and a large gada or club with his right hand facing downward in the varada mudra granting boons to his devotees. The conch represents "Om", the first sound of creation and also the beginning of matter, since sound and matter are consider to be synonymous. The discus is thought to represent the sun. Vishnu, like Shiva, was originally a minor deity.He seems to have been derived from a solar deity. The discus is a vestige of his solar origins. His two consorts, Valli and Desavani stand by his side. Both Shreedevi and Bhudevi hold flowers.