HARIHARA

Harihara: translation

Harihara is an iconic deity who combines the forms of VISHNU (Hari) and SHIVA (Hara). He is revered by a syncretic cult based mostly in South India. There is a Harihara image in BADAMI in Kar-nataka that is dated to the sixth century.

The South Indian kings of the VIJAYANAGARA (1336–1565) patronized Harihara’s temples. Some of their kings even took his name. A number of Harihara temples still exist in the Indian state of Karnataka today.

Harihara also appears in the iconography of Nepal. Though a minority cult, the Harihara phenomenon demonstrates the elasticity and syn-cretic character of Hinduism.