Indian tradition speaks of YUGAS or ages of his-tory. Today we are in the KALI YUGA, or Iron Age, a period of decline. It was preceded by the ages of gold, silver, and bronze. After the end of the KALI YUGA and a short hiatus, a new age will begin: the age of truth (KRITA YUGA), when all the wick-edness, strife, and dissension of this era will be replaced by righteousness. It is understood that this age will be ushered in by Kalki, the future incarnation or AVATA R of VISHNU, riding on a mag-nificent white horse.
Further reading: Shakti M. Gupta, Vishnu and His Incarnations (Bombay: Somaiya, 1993); Pandrimalai Swamigal, The Ten Incarnations: Dasavatara (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1982).
Encyclopedia of Hinduism. A. Jones and James D. Ryan. 2007.