Why Lord Yama Lost His Handsome Looks ?

Whenever someone talks of Lord Yamaraj, we immediately conjure the image of a huge man with formidable features and a terrifying mustache riding a buffalo. But it wasn’t always like this. He is depicted as a petrifying god in the Puranas but the Vedas show him as a deity of incomparable beauty. So, what happened that led to Yama taking up this scary demeanor? Let’s find out. 
Once upon a time, Yama was one of the most handsome deities with impeccable looks. Such was his glamour that even apsaras would vey for his attention. He was so lost in appreciating his looks every day that the attractive God slowly started to forget the duties of Earth. When the people on Earth found out about this, they rejoiced in the knowledge of living for eternity. This however caused a huge burden on the resources and exhausted Mother Earth irking the God of Destruction, Shiva. That’s when Lord Shiva decided to teach Yama a lesson in humility. 
He called the arrogant God over to Kailasha and asked him to fetch water from a nearby pond as Shiva felt thirsty. When Yama went to the pond he was shocked to see his reflection in the still water. He bent down to stare back at the dark-0skinned man with huge mustaches and fiery eyes, too stunned to move. Finally, Yama regained his senses and ran back to Shiva pleading for mercy. The Lord looked at the now defaced God and merely shook his head and went back to his meditation. Yama ran from one God to the next but no one could seem to fix his problem. In despair he decided to pray to Lord Vishnu. After praying for many years Lord Vishnu finally answered the distraught God’s call. He asked ‘What is your wish, Yama?’ ‘Please bless me back my handsome form.’ Lord Vishnu shook his head and replied ‘I can only do you one favor. Your horns shall be shifted to another creature that shall be your vehicle but the rest of the looks you will have to endure. This shall remind you to never be futile at your job.’ 
Hence, Lord Yamaraj was given the buffalo as his vehicle while retaining his scary physical form that we know of today.