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
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. The rituals are done according to Vaikhanasa Agama.
Haryana
* Sri Varaha Temple - where Varah Murti is sitated 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.
Kerala
* Panniyur Sri VarahaMurthy Temple - located at Anakkara, Pallakad District.
* Sri Varaham - located in Trivandrum, near South Fort.
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.
Tamil Nadu
* 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.
* Thiruvalavendhai / Valavendhai Piraan / Gnaanapiraan - Thirukkadalmallai (Mammallapuram) - Aadi Varaha Perumal holding Akhilavalli Thaayaar (Bhudevi) on His right. The only Varaha temple where Perumal holds Thaayaar on His right.
* Thiruvidandai - in this temple near Chennai, Varaha is also called Nityakalyana Perumal. It is famous for marriages and is one of the Divya desam.
Uttar Pradesh
* Sukarkshetra Temple - situated on the bank of Sarayu river in Paska village of Paraspur circle in Gonda district of eastern 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
From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varaha
Text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License
| So called : Vishnou
In connection with Sanglier
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