Varaha Temple

About this place

The Varaha Temple sits near the Tungabhadra at the northern end of the old Courtesans' Street (Sule Bazaar), on the trail that links the Kodandarama and Vittala temples. It is dedicated to Varaha, the boar incarnation of Vishnu who rescued the earth goddess from the cosmic ocean, and small boar reliefs — the same emblem used on the Vijayanagara royal insignia — are carved on its walls, giving the temple its name. The east-facing shrine stands in a neat rectangular walled compound with a damaged entrance tower whose lower storeys still show fine work. Its sanctum is empty today and the site is quietly beautiful, ringed by boulders with Matanga Hill rising to the south.