The Sculptures of Varahava in Rayalaseema, Andhra Pradesh

The Varaha sculpture depicts Vishnu taking the form of a boar to rescue Bhudevi, the Earth goddess, from the cosmic ocean. The Varaha avatar of Vishnu is prominently located in the main areas: Mahabhalipuram, Tamilnadu, Badami caves, Karnataka and the Udayagiri Caves near Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh states, and the Varaha Temple in Eran, also in Madhya Pradesh. The Udayagiri Caves feature a large sculpted panel of Varaha rescuing Bhudevi, while the Eran temple houses one of the largest Varaha idols in India. The Varaha avatar is the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu, where he takes the form of a boar to rescue Bhumi, the Earth goddess, from the depths of the cosmic ocean. A demon named Hiranyaksha had plunged the earth into the water, and Vishnu, in his boar form, dove in to retrieve her. He slain the demon with his tusks and then used them to lift the earth back to its rightful place. The present paper appraises the sculptures of Varaha Avatara in the temples of Rayalaseema, Andhra Pradesh, India.