Varaha is the third Avatar

Avatar

In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....

 of the Hindu

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

 Godhead Vishnu

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

, in the form of a Boar

Boar

Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...

. He appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha

Hiranyaksha

In Hinduism, Hiranyaksha [golden-eyed] was an Asura of pre-ancient India and the son of Diti and Kashyapa. He was slain by the god Vishnu after he took the Earth to the bottom of what has been described as the "Cosmic Ocean". His name in Sanskrit literally means "Goldeneye"...

, a demon who had taken the Earth

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 (Prithvi

Prithvi

Prithvi is the sanskrit name for earth and its essence Prithivi Tattwa, in the form of a mother goddess or godmother. Prithvi is also called Dhra, Dharti, Dhrithri, meaning that which holds everything. As Prithvi Devi, she is one of two wives of Lord Vishnu. His other wife is Lakshmi. Prithvi is...

) and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha

Hiranyaksha

In Hinduism, Hiranyaksha [golden-eyed] was an Asura of pre-ancient India and the son of Diti and Kashyapa. He was slain by the god Vishnu after he took the Earth to the bottom of what has been described as the "Cosmic Ocean". His name in Sanskrit literally means "Goldeneye"...

 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

Mudra

A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...

") of blessing. The Earth is held between the boar's tusks.

The avatar symbolizes the resurrection of the Earth from a pralaya

Pralaya

Pralaya, in Hindu cosmology, is an aeonic term which specifies different periods of time during which non activity situation persists, as per different formats or contexts...

 (deluge) and the establishment of a new kalpa

Kalpa

Kalpa is a small town in the Sutlej river valley, above Recong Peo in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, Northern India, in the Indian Himalaya. Inhabited by Kinnauri people and famous for its apple orchards. Apples are a major cash-crop for the region...

 (cosmic cycle).

The Varaha Purana

Varaha Purana

The Varaha Purana is one of the major eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts. It describes in detail about the Varaha incarnation of Vishnu, and narrates about the rescue of the Prithvi.-Contents:...

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

Temples dedicated to Varaha

India

Andhra Pradesh

• Simhachalam
  Simhachalam
  Simhadri or Simhachalam temple is a Hindu temple located near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is dedicated to the incarnation of Vishnu known as Narasimha...
  
   - the Varaha LakshmiNarasimha Swamy temple.
• Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
  Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
  Tirumala Venkateswara Temple ), is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around from Chennai, from Hyderabad, and from Bangalore....
  
   - 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.

Kerala

• Panniyur Sri VarahaMurthy Temple - located at Anakkara, Pallakad District.
• Sri Varaham - located in Trivandrum, near South Fort.
• Shri varaha Swamy Temple, Pannoor, Thodupuzha-685581

Madhya Pradesh

• Varaha temple - located in Khajuraho
  Khajuraho
  The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho , a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about southeast of New Delhi, are one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for...
  
  . 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
  Yajna Varaha Temple
  Sri Sri Yajna Varahajew Temple is situated in the town named Jajpur,in Orissa and dedicated to lord Varaha.-Mythology:Lord Brahma did ten Ashwamedha Yajna near the Baitarani River.After finishing on a holy moment of Pausha Amavasya Lord Varaha emanated from the holy fire.Lord Brahma first...
  
  , Biraja Temple
  Biraja Temple
  Viraja Temple or Viraja Kshetra , or Oddyana Peetha, , is one of the ancient Hindu temples located in the Jajpur district of Orissa, India. This present temple was built in 13th century. It is situated in the Jajpur township which is nearly 125 KM north from Bhubaneswar...
  
  .
• Lakhmi Varaha Temple
  Lakhmi Varaha Temple
  Sri Sri Lakshmi Varaha Temple or Lakshmi Varahajew Mandira is an 500-year-old temple dedicated to the boar incarnation of lord Vishnu, otherwise called Varaha along with his consort Lakshmi instead of Bhudevi.-Location:...
  
   - located in Aul, Kendrapara
  Kendrapara
  Kendrapara is a city and a municipality in Kendrapara district in the Indian state of Orissa. It is the headquarters of Kendrapara district.-Geography:Kendrapara is located at . It has an average elevation of...
  
  .

Rajastan

• Varah shyam temple - located in Bhinmal
  Bhinmal
  Bhinmal is a town in the Jalore District of Rajasthan, India. It is 72 km south of Jalore town. The name Bhinmal is derived from the word Shrimal.Bhinmal was old capital of the kingdom of the Gurjars during medieval period....
  
   city in Jalore
  Jalore
  Jalor, also known as Jalore , is a city in Rajasthan state of western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalor District.- Geography :...
  
   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
  Pushkar
  Pushkar is a town in the Ajmer district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is situated at 14 km North West from Ajmer at an average elevation of 510 metres , and is one of the five sacred dhams...
  
  .http://ignca.nic.in/asp/all.asp?projectid=rjpkr3400001

Tamil Nadu

• Kallidaikurichi
  Kallidaikurichi
  Kallidaikurichi is a small town on the right bank of river Thamiraparani in Ambasamudram Taluk of Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. Like any Indian rural town, this town too is steeped in tradition and rich in heritage, struggling to hold on to its past glories...
  
   - is situated on the banks of river Thamirabarani located in Tirunelveli
  Tirunelveli
  Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
  
   district.
• Srimushnam
  Srimushnam
  Srimushnam is a panchayat town of the Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu located about west of Chidambaram and south east of Vridhachalam...
  
   - is considered a swayambhu
  Swayambhu
  Swayambhu means Self-manifested or that which is created by its own accord.-Vaishnavism:Based on details in Bhagavata Purana and Matsya Purana, Narayana or Krishna is said to be the Self-manifested Swayambhu form of Brahman as the first cause of creation...
  
   image.
• ThirukKalvanoor - Aadi Varaha Perumal in Kamakshi Amman Temple
  Kamakshi Amman Temple
  The Kamakshi Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Kamakshi, one of the forms of the goddess Parvati. It is located in the historic city of Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India and is popularly associated with Sankaracharya, one of the greatest Hindu gurus...
  
  , Kanchipuram
  Kanchipuram
  Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
  
  .
• Thiruvidandai
  Thiruvidandai
  "Thiruvidandai" is one of 108 Divya desam. It is near Chennai around 40 km. It is Varaha Kshetram. It is famous for marriages.- The temple :...
  
   - is located on East Coast Road, about 40 km South of Chennai
  Chennai
  Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
  
   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
  Har ki Pauri
  Har Ki Pauri is a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar in Uttarakhand state in India. This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, "Har" means "Lord Shiva", "ki" means "of" and "paudi" means "steps". Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are believed to...
  
   (not the one as in Haridwar) in Soron
  Soron
  Soron is a town and a municipal board in Kanshiram Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Soron is located at . It has an average elevation of 179 m ....
  
  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.

Other names

• AdhiVaraha
• Bhoovaraghan
• Bhuvaraghan
• Gnaanapiraan
• Jnanapiran
• SreeVaraham
• Varaghan
• Varha
• YagnaVaraha

External links

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