| This antiquated Dhokra (lost wax casting) item depicts Varaha - Avatar of Lord Vishnu who represents the third incarnation, that of Varaha, the Boar, as depicted in Hindu mythology. It is said that the demon (Asura), Hiranyaksha, after great penance managed to please Lord Brahma who gave him the boon of invincibility against all beings that he (Hiranyaksha) named. After becoming all-powerful, Hiranyaksha captured earth and dragged her to the bottom of the ocean where he kept her trapped. Lord Vishnu knew that Hiranyaksha missed out on naming the boar while Brahma granted him the boon of invincibility. Vishnu therefore took the form of a great boar, dived into the ocean and killed the demon. He then took the earth between his great tusks and surfaced out of the ocean thus rescuing earth. Varaha, the boar symbolizes the emergence of mammals on the planet.
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