An avatar (Sanskrit "descent") is when a god takes a body on earth to restore order when evil grows too strong. Hindus believe the god Vishnu has done this many times. Together his avatars are called the dashavatara - the "ten avatars".

The Ten Avatars

Matsya - a fish who saved humans from a great flood.
Kurma - a tortoise.
Varaha - a boar.
Narasimha - a half-man, half-lion who killed a demon.
Vamana - a dwarf.
Parashurama - a warrior.
Rama - king and hero of the Ramayana.
Krishna - teacher of the Bhagavad Gita.
Buddha - some Hindus include him as an avatar, others do not.
Kalki - who has not yet come. Hindus believe he will appear at the end of this age riding a white horse to start a new age.

The avatars become more human as the list goes on - starting as animals and ending as kings, teachers and warriors. They show that Vishnu's protection of the world has always been at work, in different forms for different times.

Y8 Hinduism

Avatars of Vishnu