Ancient stories from the Vishnu Purana have rippled through India’s cultural landscape, leaving colorful footprints in art, literature, temples and performance traditions. Painters and sculptors often looked to its vivid descriptions—Vishnu’s four arms, his garland of lotuses, or his cosmic serpent Ananta—to bring temple walls and ceilings alive with scenes from creation myths. From the Chola bronzes in Tamil Nadu to the frescoes of Rajasthan’s havelis, artisans found a rich visual vocabulary in the Purana’s verses.

Literary circles, too, have savored its narrative tapestry. Sanskrit poets like Madhusūdana Dīkṣita wove Purana themes into their mahākāvyas, while medieval bhakti writers—Mirabai in the north and Andal down south—drew emotional depth from its tales of devotion and divine play (līlā). Even today, modern novelists and graphic-novel creators are mining those same episodes, reimagining ancient heroes for readers who binge-watch mythological series on streaming platforms.

When it comes to temple architecture, the Purana’s cosmic map inspired layouts that mirror the universe’s structure. Shrines are often designed as a microcosm of Mount Meru, reflecting the Purana’s description of Vaikuntha and the churning of the ocean. The towering gopurams of Vijayanagara temples or the stellate plans of Hoysala sanctuaries echo that celestial blueprint, inviting worshipers to step into a story as vast as space itself.

Performing arts have been no exception. Kathakali troupes in Kerala and Kuchipudi dancers in Andhra Pradesh still enact scenes from the Lakshmi-Narayan saga, their elaborate costumes and precise gestures drawn straight from Purana passages. Yakshagana performers in Karnataka and Odissi dancers in Odisha too keep these myths on stage, mixing classical rigor with folk flair. Even at last year’s Khajuraho Dance Festival, a new production of the Vamana avatar had audiences on the edge of their seats.

Across centuries, the Vishnu Purana hasn’t just survived—it’s been the wind beneath many creative wings, fueling painters, poets, architects and performers to breathe fresh life into ancient devotion.