Who is Harischandra from Gods, Demons, and Others and what is their importance?

Harischandra was a King. He was greatly revered by the sage Vasishta. Viswamitra, Vasishta's rival tested the great Harischandra's virtue by setting a demonic, wild boar loose in the kingdom. Harischandra chased it day and night until he met a man who showed him the way to shade and water. Harischandra then promised the man anything he wanted in return for his kindness. Sadly, Harichandra didn't know that the man was acutally Viswamitra in disguise, and he asked for everything - Harishandra's kingdom, his treasury, the jewelry he wore - and even that he, his wife, and son would immediately vacate the capitol. Harischandra would also have to pay a tax for the gift and sell his wife and son into slavery. A man of his word, Harichandra had no choice but to comply. In the end, Harischandra and his wife are reunited when they think their son has been killed. They are about to burn themselves on the pyre with their son when the gods intervene, and Viswamitra forfeits his spiritual merit to Harischandra, having been proven wrong.