Varaham - Kerala Mural Archive

Alangad, ASG_P013 — Varaham: full panel view

Detail Photos

Deity: Varaha Location: Alangad Sree Santana Gopala Murthy Temple Theme: Non-narrative Visual Feature: Background pattern Visual Feature: Facial expression detail Visual Feature: Hand gesture (mudra)Visual Feature: Ornamentation

Varaha is the half human, half wild boar image form of Vishnu. He has four arms with shankha, chakra, gada and padma. He wears a crown on his head. He has short tusks, and his head resembles that of a wild boar. He wears a yellow dhoti.

Iconography

Primary Deity/Figure: Varaham
Iconographic Form: Varaham ( (Vishnu's incarnation))
Iconographic Attributes: Blue-skinned, four-armed Varaha, wearing jewelry. Upper right arm holds the Sudarshana Chakra. Lower right arm holds the gada or mace. Upper left hand holds the shankha or conch. Lower left hand holds the padma or lotus flower. Wearing a yellow dhoti and has a garland of flowers across his shoulders. He is depicted as emerging from the ocean. His face resembles that of a wild boar. He has tusks and a crown on his head.
Rasa: Shanta

Spatial & Architectural

Position in Pradakshina Sequence: 13
Adjacent Panels: Koormam and Ganapathi

Narrative

Textual Source: Non-narrative
Mythological Tale: When Hiranyaksha, the demon, stole Goddess Earth, or Bhoodevi, Vishnu took the form of Varaha, half boar, half human, and rescued her from the ocean and carried her in his tusks and kept her back in her rightful place. He then went on to attack Hiranyaksha and defeated him.
Episode: Non narrative

Condition & Documentation

Condition: Fair
Deterioration Type: Pigment loss
Restoration Status: Unrestored
Documentation Type: DSLR full panel
Permission Basis: Temple authorities
Date of Documentation: 08/08/2024
Artist: Neelakantan Ilayath
Identifier: ASG_P013
Rights / Notes: These images may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior permission.