Balarama (Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: Balarāma) is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna
He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities
He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra and Sankarshana
The first two epithets refer to his strength, and the next two associate him with Hala (Langala, “plough”) from his strong associations with farming and farmers, as the deity who used farm equipment as weapons when needed
Balarama is sometimes described as incarnation of Shesha, the serpent associated with the god Vishnu; Krishna is regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu
Some traditions regard him as one of 10 principle avatars of Vishnu himself
Balarama’s significance in the Indian culture has ancient roots
His image in artwork is dated to around the start of the common era, and in coins dated to the 2nd-century BCE
In Jainism, he is known as Baladeva and has been a historically significant farmer-related deity