Bhairava

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For the raga in Hindustani classical music, see Bhairav (raga).

Bhairava
Bhairav Statue at the British Museum
Destruction (guard god)
Devanagari	भैरव ( in )
Nepal Bhasa	भैराद्य:
Affiliation	Aspect of Shiva
Weapon	Trishula
Mount	Dog

Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव, "Terrible" or "Frightful" ,^[1]), sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya, is the fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation.^[2] He is one of the most important deities of Rajasthan and Nepal, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike.

He is depicted ornamented with a range of twisted serpents, which serve as earrings, bracelets, anklets, and sacred thread (yajnopavita). He wears a tiger skin and a ritual apron composed of human bones.^[3] Bhairava has a dog (Shvan) as his divine vahana (vehicle).

Bhairava himself has eight manifestations: Kala Bhairava, Asitanga Bhairava, Samhara Bhairava, Ruru Bhairava, Krodha Bhairava, Kapala Bhairava, Rudra Bhirava and Unmatta Bhairava. Kala Bhairava is conceptualized as the Guru of the planetary deity Saturn. Bhairava is known as Vairavar in Tamil where he is often presented as a Grama Devata or folk deity who safeguards the devotee on all eight directions (ettu tikku). Known in Sinhalese as Bahirawa, he protects treasures. Lord Bhairava is the main deity worshipped

Legends

The origin of Bhairava can be traced to the conversation between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu recounted in "Shiv Maha-Puran" where Lord Vishnu asks Lord Brahma who is the supreme creator of the Universe. Arrogantly, Brahma tells Vishnu to worship him because he (Brahma) is the supreme creator. This angered Shiva who in reality is the creator of all. Shiva then incarnated in the form of Bhairava to punish Brahma. Bhairava beheaded one of Brahma's five heads and since then Brahma has only four heads. When depicted as Kala Bhairava, Bhairava is shown carrying the decapitated head of Brahma. Cutting off Brahma's fifth head made him guilty of the crime of killing a Brahmin, and as a result, he was forced to carry around the head for years and roam as Bhikshatana, a mendicant, until he had been absolved of the sin.

In another version, when Brahma sees the cosmic confusion while creation of universe and ponders how to settle it. He created Saraswati from his imagination ('Manasaputri'). She issued as Shatarupa. She presented him with the wealth of knowledge and wisdom. But Brahma was infatuated with her beauty and pursued her. He sprouted a fifth head to gaze at her continuously. The horrified goddess took multiple forms to escape his eye, but Brahma continued to take a complementary form and chase her. This unlawful lust caused an imbalance in the universe and Lord Shiva took the form of Bhairava to put an end to such incest. He confronted Brahma and cut off his fifth head which brought him to his senses. He then performed a yagna to purify himself, reciting mantras with his four heads for salvation.

In the form of the frightful Bhairava, Shiva is said to be guarding each of these Shaktipeeths. Each Shaktipeeth temple is accompanied by a temple dedicated to Bhairava.

Temples

Chomukha Bhairavji Temple , Kharkhara , Khetri , Rajasthan
Shri Kal Bhairava Temple, Amer Fort , Jaipur , Rajasthan
Kala Bhairava Temple, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Kala Bhairava Temple, courtalam, Tamil Nadu
Kal Bhairava Temple, near Purana Qila, New Delhi. Said to be established by the Pandava brothers during the building of their capital Indraprastha. Purana Qila is sometimes said to be their castle and the temple is situated in its backyard.
Ashta Bhairava at Sri Kamanada Eswar temple, Aragalur, Tamil Nadu.
Bhairavar Temple, Vairavan Patti, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu.
Bhairaveswarar Temple, Cholapuram, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.
Ajaikapada Bhairava Temple, Nuagaon, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha
Kal Bhairav Temple at Ujjain, M.P.
Kalbhairav Temple at Dhargal, Goa, family temple of the Mahatme, Pankar, and Colvalcar Goud Saraswat Brahmin families of Goa
Kalabhairaveshvara Temple at Adichunchanagiri, Karnataka
Kalabhairaveshvara Temple at Jogi Mutt, Kadri, Mangalore, Karnataka
Kalabhairav Temple at Adhiyaman Kottai, Dharampuri district, Tamil Nadu
Sri Kalabhairava Swamy Temple at Ramareddy, Nizamabad district, Andhra Pradesh
Naga Bhirava Kona, P.K.Padu,Somasila, SPSR Nellore District, Andhrapradesh, India
Bhairava Kona,Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.
Kala Bhairav Temple at Toliasar, Sri Dungargarh, Rajasthan
Kodamdesar Ramdevra Temple, Jaisalmer Highway, Rajasthan
Bhairava Moorthi ( Bhairava Natha Moorthi) Temple, Morepalayam, Tiruchengodu Thaluk, Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu
Sri Vairavamoorthy, Illupaikudi Temple, Karaikudi, Tamilnadu
Konguvadukanatha Swami, Kundadam, Dharapuram, Tamilnadu
Kala Bhairava temple Soratoor dist:Gadag ; State:Karnataka - uploaded by G.T.Vaidya [[File:Kala Bhairava.jpg|thumb|Kala Bhairava Kuladevata of VAIDYA manetana SORATOOR

In the Kathmandu valley

[[File:Aakash bhairav.jpg|thumb||Aakash bhairav paraded during Indra Jatra festival]] Bhairava is an important deity of the Newars. All the traditional settlements of Newars have at least a temple of Bhairava. Most of the temples of Bhairava in Nepal are maintained by Newar priests. There are several Bhairava temples in the Kathmandu valley. Some of them are:

The Kala Bhairava temple in Hanuman Dhoka (Durbar Square) has a 12-foot (3.7 m) high stone image of Kala Bhairava sculpted in the 17th century CE. It was believed that people die if they speak false in front of this sculpture. So, this temple served as the supreme court of Nepal for a long time.^{[citation needed]}
Akash Bhairava (Sava Bhakku Deva or Wanga Dya)
Swet Bhairava
Shanta Bhairava (Majipa Lakhey Dya)
Kirtimukha Bhairava
Unmukta Bhairava (inside the Pashupatinath Temple)
Bagh Bhairava temple of Kirtipur
Batuk Bhairava temple, Lagankhel
The Kaal Bhairav Nath Mandir temple is in "Varne Goan" - {Satara-Maharastra}.
"Kaal Bhairicha Navane Changbhale"