The Adivaraha Mandap is an elegant shrine that has a simple façade with the famous lion-based
Pallava pillars. On either side of the sanctuary are figures identified as royal patrons, kings,
and queens. A large panel depicts the incarnation of Vishnu as a gigantic boar, and Varaha,
rescuing the earth (depicted as a youthful woman) from the depths of a catastrophic flood. The
scene is very calm, and especially tender is the careful way Varaha lifts the goddess above the
swirling waters below.