Many thanks to Madhav Deshpande, Manish Rajan Walvekar and Nagaraj Paturi for your comments. I am convinced that the panel represent Viṣṇu as Sūrya-Nārāyaṇa, worshipped by Hanuman and Garuḍa. The lower hands hold reins of chariot-horses. The upper hands seem to hold weapons - triśūla (rather than a plant, which should be lotus) and sword/dagger. 

Best regards, Asko Parpola

On 13. Mar 2024, at 19.12, Nagaraj Paturi <nagarajpaturi@gmail.com> wrote:

The two elements in the two lower hands are reins of  chariot. horse(s). 

In Sri Vaishnava temples, it is common to have the shrines dedicated to Hanuman and Garuda on either side of the central  shrine of Vishnu in any form. 

Vishnu on chariot can be  Suryanarayana or Savitr Narayana. 

Lotus in the hands of Surya is not uncommon. 

On Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 8:32 PM Manish Rajan Walvekar via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
Dear Professor Asko,

I discussed this with Dr. Gopal Joge of Deccan College, Pune. He added to Prof. Deshpande's scholarly opinion:- the image appears to be 'Vishnu', but with a typical late period 'Himalayan' style. Similar kinds of wood carving and images can be seen at Devi-Kothi, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Thanks.

On Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 6:57 PM Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
Dear Asko,

This looks like Chaturbhuja Vishnu at the center, flanked by Hanuman and Garuda. In my family, we have an image of Krishna with Hanuman and Garuda at his feet. I have seen this arrangement in some temples in Pune.

Madhav
<image.png>

Madhav M. Deshpande
Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India

[Residence: Campbell, California, USA]


On Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 5:53 AM Asko Parpola via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
Years ago my wife acquired in London the finely carved wooden panel a scan of which is attached.
We are at loss in trying to identify the central figure with vaiṣṇava marks, worshipped by the monkey
king (Hanuman? Vālin?) and the bird king (Garuḍa? Jaṭāyus?). The worshippers rather point to
Rāma, but the iconography of the object of their worship is unusual and strange to me.
He wears a crown and the upper hands hold a three-leaved plant (?) and a sword or dagger (?),
the lower hands hold garlands (?) or reins of chariot horse (?). We look forward to expert opinions.

Best regards, Asko
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Regards,
Dr. Manish Rajan Walvekar
Assistant Professor (Senior Grade) and Centre Coordinator
Amrita Darshanam International Centre for Spiritual Studies
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Bangalore.

|| तस्मै पाणिनये नमः || 

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Nagaraj Paturi
 
Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.
Dean, IndicA
BoS, MIT School of Vedic Sciences, Pune, Maharashtra
BoS Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit University, Ramtek, Maharashtra
BoS Veda Vijnana Gurukula, Bengaluru.
Member, Advisory Council, Veda Vijnana Shodha Samsthanam, Bengaluru
Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies, 
FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education, 
Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.