Varaha

Varaha Avatar
Incarnation of Vishnu as a Boar
Devanagari	वराह
Affiliation	Avatar of Vishnu
Weapon	Chakra and Mace
Consort	Bhūmi, Varahi

Varaha Avatar (Sanskrit: वराह) is the third Avatar of the Hindu Godhead Vishnu, in the form of a Varaha (Boar). He appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth (Prithvi) and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to have lasted for a thousand years, which the former finally won. Varaha carried the Earth out of the ocean between his tusks and restored it to its place in the universe. Vishnu married Prithvi (Bhudevi) in this avatar.

Varaha is depicted in art as either purely animal or as being anthropomorphic, having a boar's head on a man's body. In the latter form he has four arms, two of which hold the wheel and conch-shell while the other two hold a mace, sword or lotus or make a gesture (or "mudra") of blessing. The Earth is held between the boar's tusks.

The avatar symbolizes the resurrection of the Earth from a pralaya (deluge) and the establishment of a new kalpa (cosmic cycle).

The Varaha Purana is a Purana in which the form of narration is a recitation by Varaha.

Temples dedicated to Varaha

Varaha on a Gurjara Pratihara coin, 850-900 CE. British Museum.

Rock-cut sculpture of Vishnu in his Varaha incarnation at the Udayagiri Caves, near Vidisha, carved when the city was a provincial capital of the Gupta Empire.

India

Andhra Pradesh

• Simhachalam - the Varaha LakshmiNarasimha Swamy temple.
• Tirumala Venkateswara Temple - located at Tirumala, near Tirupati. It is considered to be a very ancient temple. Pilgrims should first worship Lord Varaha and then Lord Venkateswara. It is also known as Aadhi Varaha Kshetra.
• YagnaVaraha - located in Karimnagar District of Andhra Pradesh. Also known as "YagnaVaraha Kshetram". Visit www.svskarimnagar.org for details

Haryana

• Sri Varaha Temple - where Varah Murti is situated at Varah Tirth in Brahkalan village (Jind).
• Varaha Temple - located in Varaha Village in Jind District. There is a swayambhu murti of Varaha.

Karnataka

• Sri Varaha Temple - Marawanthe-Padukone, Kundapaur, Taluk, Udupi District.
• Bhu Varaha Temple - Kallahalli-Bookanakere, Mandya District.
• Shwetha Varaha Temple - Mysore palace, [Mysore] District.

Kerala

• Panniyur Sri VarahaMurthy Temple - located at Anakkara, Pallakad District.
• Sri Varaham - located in Trivandrum, near South Fort.
• Shri varaha Swamy Temple, Pannoor, Thodupuzha-Idukki Dist.685581 (From Thodupuzha 14 km]Thodupuzha-Karimannoor-Pannoor Route

Madhya Pradesh

• Varaha temple - located in Khajuraho. A twin of the Varaha idol in the Khajuraho temple stands in a museum in Mrignaini's Palace, Gwalior.

Orissa

• Jajpur - also called Yajnapur, abode of Yajna Varaha, Biraja Temple.
• Lakhmi Varaha Temple - located in Aul, Kendrapara.

Rajastan

• Varah shyam temple - located in Bhinmal city in Jalore District. It is an ancient temple situated in the middle of the city.
• Varah Ji Ka Mandir-It is located in the city of Pushkar.[1]

Tamil Nadu

Varaha holding Prthvi, Mahabalipuram relief.

• Kallidaikurichi - is situated on the banks of river Thamirabarani located in Tirunelveli district.
• Srimushnam - is considered a swayambhu image.
• ThirukKalvanoor - Aadi Varaha Perumal in Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram.
• Thiruvidandai - is located on East Coast Road, about 40 km South of Chennai and 15 kilometres from Mahabalipuram (Mammallapuram). The mUlavar Aadi Varaha Perumal (God) is in nindra kOlam, holding Bhudevi on his left. The only Varaha temple where Perumal holds Thaayaar (Goddess) on his left. Utsava moorthy in this temple is Nityakalyana Perumal. Thayar is called Komalavalli Nachiar. The temple is one of the Divya desam.
• Thiruvalavendai - is situated near the old lighthouse in Mahabalipuram.Perumal here is also called as gnAnapirAn. This temple is a very old cave temple built by the pallavas. Here, Aadi Varaha Perumal holds Bhudevi Thaayar on his right. The prakaaram has a giant carved statue of Mahendravarman and Narasimhavarman as well as Siva, Brahma and Maya. This ancient temple is opened only on special days to perform pooja.

Uttar Pradesh

• Sukarkshetra Temple - situated on the bank of Sarayu river in Paska village of Paraspur circle in Gonda district of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
• Shukar Kshetra Temple - situated on the bank of Hari ki Paudi (not the one as in Haridwar) in Soron town of western Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal

• Varaha Kshetra - located by the bank of Saptakoshi river in Nepal. This temple is close to city of Dharan.

Vishnu married Bhumidevi in his avatar who then gave birth to their son, an asura, Narakasura.

See also

• Narasimha

External links

• The Battle Between Lord Boar (Varaha) and the Demon Hiranyaksha (vedabase.net)