Bhu-Varaha, Avatara of Bhagawan Vishnu with Goddess Earth

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Bronzes of Lord Vishnu’s third avatara Varaha, the gigantic boar who dived into the depths of the cosmic ocean to rescue the earth, personified as the goddess Bhu-Devi, have been popular since the Chola period. The image here portrays the giant boar seated on a lotus seat in the lalitasana (posture of royal ease), with the left leg folded and the right leg pendant. His wife Bhu devi or Bhu-Lakshmi holding a lotus bud, sits formally on His folded knee. Varaha holds the chakra and conch in His rear two hands while the front right hand blesses His devotees and the left main arm supports the goddess. He wears a triple-strand sacred thread. Both the deities wear similar crowns. While Varaha wears the Vaishnava tilaka, the goddess is adorned with a small bindi on her forehead.

This bronze composition informs that the sharpness and precision that was once standard during the Chola period can still be seen in contemporary bronze creations.