Varaha Temple, Khajuraho

Varaha Temple
Varaha temple at Khajuraho
Varaha Temple Location in Madhya Pradesh
Name
Proper name	Varaha Temple
Devanagari	वराह मंदिर
Geography
Coordinates	24°51′7.3″N 79°55′20″E / 24.852028°N 79.92222°E / 24.852028; 79.92222Coordinates: 24°51′7.3″N 79°55′20″E / 24.852028°N 79.92222°E / 24.852028; 79.92222
Country	India
State	Madhya Pradesh
District	Chattarpur, Khajuraho
Location	Khajuraho
Culture
Primary deity	Varaha, Incarnation of Vishnu
Architecture
Number of temples	1
History and governance
Date built	CIRCA 900–925 AD
Creator	Chandela Rulers

The Varaha Temple at Khajuraho (Devanagri: वराह मंदिर) enshrines a colossal monolithic image of Varaha, the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This temple depicts Varaha as a purely animal form. The temple is located in the Western Group of Temple Complex Khajuraho Group of Monuments, a World Heritage Site inscribed by UNESCO in 1986 in Khajuraho.Khajuraho is a small village in Chattarpur District of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Varaha (Sanskrit: वराह) is the third Avatar of the Lord Vishnu, in the form of a Varaha (Boar).

Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of a Boar 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.

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

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.