The temple has been dedicated to Vishnu in his various as Janardana the Punisher, shown as a rigid, solemn-looking statue on the north vimana; as Kesava the Radiant, after whom the temple is named but whose statue is missing from the central shrine; and as Venugopala, the Krishna on the south shrine, with another Krishna as cowherd listening at his feet.
The temple was designed to help someone learn the religion.