Varahi

This is Varahi. The identification is by her facial features. For me it is normally the attributes that help in the identification. It is partially so in this case. Varahi is worshipped as a member of Saptamatrika (The seven Mothers), as a Buddhist deity and as a standalone deity. The attributes for the above forms differ.

Here Varahi is holding a Chakra, an arrow, a fish and a Kapala, clockwise starting with lower right hand. So far, I have not come across any reference for this combination of attributes.

The closest we have is the Goddess in Tal Barahi Temple, Pokhara, Nepal where the deity is holding a fish and Kapala. The book on The Indian Buddhist Iconography by Benoytosh Bhattacharyya documents a four-armed Varahi holding Fish and Kapala and the other two hands are in Anjali mudra.

The Chakra, among other things, tells us this Vigraha is from Nepal. This blogsite has an example of Vishnu from Nepal holding a hollow teardrop shaped chakra in a similar fashion.

The canine teeth and the tiara featuring skulls suggest this Varahi may have been used in Tantric worship.

Given the attributes, geographical attribution, presence of a standalone temple it is very unlikely this Varahi was a part of a Saptamatrika group.

This Vigraha is about 11 cm tall, and it is from Nepal. This may be dated to the 18th-19th century.

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