Varahi at The Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

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Varahi stands as one of the Matrikas, a group of seven or eight powerful mother goddesses in Hinduism. With her head shaped like a sow, Varahi is the shakti (feminine energy) of Varaha, the boar Avatar of the god Vishnu. In Nepal, she is known as Barahi. Varahi is revered by all three major schools of Hinduism: Shaktism (worship of goddesses), Shaivism (followers of the god Shiva), and Vaishnavism (devotion to Vishnu). She is usually worshiped at night, and according to secretive Vamamarga Tantric practices. The Buddhist goddesses Vajravarahi and Marichi are believed to have originated from the Hindu goddess Varahi. According to the Shumbha-Nishumbha myth of the Devi Mahatmya from the Markandeya Purana religious texts, the Matrikas goddesses emerge as shaktis (feminine powers) from the bodies of the gods. The scriptures state that Varahi was created from Varaha. She has a boar form, wields a chakra (discus), and fights with a sword. After the battle described in the myth, the Matrikas dance - drunk on their victim's blood. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for public access. Scan the World is an open source community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.