mythical mountain which, at the very beginning of the world existence, was used as a spindle to churn the "Ocean of milk", in order to obtain amrita, the nectar of immortality. Vishnu took the form of the Kurma turtle and put the Mount Mandara on His shell; all gods and demons reassembled, caught Vasuki, the Serpent, as a rope, and started churning. Marvellous things, gods and godesses (among whom the wonderful Lakshmî, goddess of Wealth and Beauty, who was also the Vishnu Shakti) and the amrita nectar came out of it. Gods caught it immediately, drank it and became immortal. They subdued the demons and sent them to the underground worlds