Balarama

Balarama, in Hindu mythology, the elder half brother of Krishna, with whom he shared many adventures. Sometimes Balarama is considered one of the 10 avatars (incarnations) of the god Vishnu, particularly among those members of Vaishnava sects who elevate Krishna to the rank of a principal god. Other legends identify him as the human incarnation of the serpent Shesha. He may originally have been an agricultural deity, for as early as the 2nd–1st century bce he was depicted holding a plowshare and a pestle, with a snake canopy above his head. Among the earliest Brahmanic gods to be given sculptural representation, he is always shown in paintings with fair skin, in contrast to Krishna’s blue complexion. The stories associated with him emphasize his love of wine and his enormous strength. He was rarely worshipped independently.