Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh

BY: SUN STAFF http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/02-08/features939.htm

— A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

 Pana Narasimha, who resides in a hill shrine at Mangalagiri. Devotees pour sweet water (pani)
into the Lord's open mouth, and worship it as prasadam.

Feb 22, CANADA (SUN) — A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious

abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

The three most well-known Narasimha shrines in Andhra Pradesh are Ahobilam,
Simhachalam and Mangalagiri. Mangalagiri means The Auspicious Hill. This place is
one of the 8 important Mahakshetrams (sacred places) in India. The eight places
where Lord Vishnu manifested himself are (1) Sri Rangam (2) Srimushnam (3)
Naimisam (4) Pushkaram (5) Salagamadri (6) Thothadri (7) Narayanasramam (8)
Venkatadri.

Thotadri is the present Mangalagiri. Lakshmi Devi has done tapas on this hill, and
that's why it was named "The Auspicious Hill". There are three Narasimha Swamy
temples in Mangalagiri. One is Panakala Narasimha Swamy on the hill, another is
Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at the foot of the temple, and the third is Gandala
Narasimha Swamy at the top of the hill.

From all the directions, the shape of the hill looks like an elephant. The mountain is
said to have come into existence when Pariyatra, an ancient king, had a son name
Hrasva Srungi who visited all the holy and sacred places to regain normal bodily
stature. He finally visited the holy place of Mangalagiri and stayed for three years,
performing penance. All the devathas advised him to stay at Mangalagiri and
continue to do penance in praise of Lord Vishnu. The father of Hrasva Srungi came
with his retinue to take his son back to his kingdom, but Hrasva Srungi took the
shape of an elephant to remain and become the abode of Lord Vishnu, who is locally
known as Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy.
 Mangalagiri

The temple of Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy is situated on the Auspicious

Hill. On the right side of the steps provided to reach the temple there is a stone
inscription by Sri Krishnadeva Raya of Vijayanagar. A little further up, there are the
worshipable Footprints of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Midway on the steps there is a
temple of Lord Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy (Pana-nrsimha, pictured above)
with His mouth widely opened.

A dhwajasthambham was erected in front of the temple in 1955. Behind the temple
there is the temple of Sri Lakshmi, to the west of which is a tunnel believed to lead
to Vundavalli caves on the banks of the Krishna. The stone inscription of the kings of
Vijayanagar also relate to the conquest of Rayalu over Kondapalli, and Siddhiraju
Thimmarajayya Devara's granting of a total of 200 kunchams (10 kunchams make
one acre) land in 28 villages, of which Mangalagiri was one, and a gift of 40
kunchams by China Thirumalayya to Ramanujakutam.

The steps to the temple were constructed by Sri Channapragada Balaramadasu in

1890. There was a cave next to the Devi temple on the hill. It is said that there is a
way to Vundavalli from that cave, and the sages used to go that way to take bath in
Krishna River. Now the cave is very dark, and the way cannot be seen.

The Demon Namuchi

Lord Nrsimhadeva has established Himself on the hill in His man-lion form, assumed
to kill the demon Hiranyakasipu, who was the rakshasa father of the great devotee,
Prahlada. The Lord is also called Sudarsana Narasimhaswamy. After great penance,
the rakshasa Namuchi obtained a boon from Lord Brahma that he would not be killed
by anything wet or dry. He then began to harass Indra and the devathas. Encouraged
and supported by Lord Vishnu, Indra commenced destroying the army of rakshasa
Namuchi, who died in a cave in Sukshmakaram (small size), giving up his
sthulakaram (physical manifestation). Indra dipped Sudarsanam, the disc of Lord
Vishnu, into the foam of the ocean and sent it into the cave. Lord Vishnu manifested
Himself at the centre of the disc, destroyed the Pranavayuvu (life breath) of the
rakshasa with the fire of His exhalation. He thus got the name of Sudarsana
Narasimha.

The blood that flowed from the body of the rakshasa seemed to have formed into a
pool at the foot of the hill. The devathas themselves were unable to withstand the
fire of the anger of the Lord and they prayed for appeasement. The Lord took
amritam (nectar) and cooled down. This was in Krithayugam. The Lord said that he
would be satisfied with ghee in Threthayugam, with milk in Dwaparayugam and with
panakam (jaggery water) in Kaliyugam. Hence, in Kaliyugam the Lord is known as
Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy.
Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh, Part 2
BY: SUN STAFF

Sri Lakshminarasimha with Consort at Mattapalle

Photo by M.N. Srinivasan for The Hindu

Feb 23, CANADA (SUN) — A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious

abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

Getting Shelter of Lord Nrsimhadev in Threthayugam

In Threthayugam, the second of the four yugas, people who enjoyed in heaven as a
result of their good deeds in the world are most unhappy to return to this world
(when once the fruits of good deeds are exhausted, and the soul has to come back to
the world). Some prayed to Lord Indra, the Lord of heaven, to save them from the
impending fate. Indra advised them to spend their time in the world at Mangalagiri to
attain heaven again.

In Krithayugam, the first of the four yugas when the sinners were few,
Yamadharmaraja, the Lord of hell, advised them to wash off their sins by doing
penance at Mangalagiri. Mangalagiri has been in existence since the beginning of the
Universe, known by the names Anjanadri in Krithayugam, Thotadri in Threthayugam,
Mangaladri and Mukthyadri in Dwaparayugam, and Mangalagiri in Kaliyugam. In all
ages, Mangalagiri affords salvation to sinners.

In Krithayugam, Vaikhanasa Maharshi worshipped Lord Nrsimhadev, and the Deity is

worshipped there even today in the temple. It is also said that Lord Rama, while
departing for Vaikuntam after completing his mission in that incarnation, advised
Anjaneya to stay at Mangalagiri, after obtaining his blessings to remain in this world
for ever. Anjaneya took his adobe at Mangalagiri as Kshetrapalaka.

Panakala Narasimha Swamy - God Who Drinks Panakam

It is said that here in Mangalagiri, God is self-existent. In the temple, there will be no
Deity of the Lord, but only mouth, widely opened to 15 cms. The mouth is covered
by the metal face of Sri Panka-Nrimsha. The temple is to be opened till afternoon
only, so that the devatas will perform pujas in the night. Pana-nrsimha takes jaggery
water as an offering, poured with a conch. When the sweet water is poured into the
mouth of the Lord, a gurgling sound is clearly audible as if the Lord is actually
drinking it and the sound becomes shriller and shriller as and when the Lord is
drinking. The sound will come to a stop after sometime and the balance of the
jaggery water is thrown out. This phenomenon happens not once in a day, but is a
recurring feature during the course of the day, as devotees offer panakam. It is
interesting to note that not even a single ant is to be found near the Lord or around
the temple in spite of the offering of so much jaggery water. As the offering of the
panakam to the Lord is peculiar, the Lord here is called Panakala Narasimhaswamy.
vBehind the temple there is the shrine of Sri Lakshmi, to the west of which there is a
natural cave. This case is believed to lead to Undavalli caves on the banks of the
Krishna river, and the sages used to travel through to take bath in Krishna River.
Now, the cave is very dark and the way cannot be seen. Today the temple can be
reached by a walkway and by road.

Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Temple

At the foot of the hill, there is another temple whose origin is traced to the time of
Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandavas. Yudhishtira is said to be the founder of the
chief Deity of this temple and the deity here is called Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy.
In Vijayawada itself, 8 miles from Mangalagiri, there is a hill called Indrakeeladri in
which Arjuna is said to have done tapascharya (penance) in order to obtain the
weapon Pasupata from Lord Siva.

About 200 ago back Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu, who ruled from Amaravati,
constructed a stupendous gopuram (tower) on the eastern gate of the Lakshmi
Narasimhaswamy temple. It is one of the highest gopurams in South India and the
only one of its type in this part of India. It is 153ft. in height and 49 feet wide with
11 storeys, and gates facing east and west. This great and imposing tower dwarfs
the central shrine. The devoted patience of thousands of skilled craftsmen and the
labour of many more apprentices which have gone into this great structure are a
testimony to the religious fervour which characterized the builder. After constructing
the gopuram, it was found to be leaning towards one direction. The Kancheepuram
architects suggested to dig a tank opposite to the tower. After digging the tank, it is
said that, the tower became straight.

The Deity of the Lord in the form of Narasimha (man-lion) and that of Lakshmi Devi
to His left are of stone. The garland of the Lord with 108 saligrams is of special
significance here. Dakshanavrutha Sankham, a special conch believed to be one that
was used by Lord Krishna, is one more possession of significance of the Lord. There
is also an ancient ratha (temple car) belonging to the temple with ornamental wood
carvings depicting the scenes from the great epics of Bharata, Bhagavatha and
Ramayana.
Thimmaraju Devaraju, a military chieftain of the Vijayanagar rulers, improved this
temple. He had constructed prakarams (compound walls), mandapas, gopurams, five
images of Lord Bhairava, a festival chariot, ten varieties of courts for annual
ceremonies, flower gardens, lakes and tanks. He also installed utsava vigrahas in the
temple, which are metal images intended for being taken out in procession.

Sri Garuda Vahanam

To the north of the temple there is a temple of Sri Rajyalakshmi ,to the south that of
Rama with Sita and Lakshmana, and to the west Vahanasala (the store house for the
vehicles of which the golden Garudavahanam, the silver Hanumanthavahanam and
Ponnavahanam are noteworthy). The Lakshmi Narayana temple and the Anjaneya
Mandiram in Pedda Bazar are the other places of worship in the town.
Gandalayam

On the top of the hill, there is no deity for the Lord. There is only facility to put a
deepam (lamp). If anyone gets miseries then they go there, light the deepam with
cow ghee, and they lose the miseries. That lamp is visible from many villages.
Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh, Part 3
BY: SUN STAFF

Pana Nrsimhadev

Feb 24, CANADA (SUN) — A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious

abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

Festivals at Mangalagiri

Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Brahmothsavam is very important annual

festival in Mangalagiri. The celebration was inaugurated by Dharmaraja at the behest
of Lord Krishna. Pradyumna, Krishna's son, requested his father to celebrate his
birthday annually for a sapthaham (seven days) from Phalguna Suddha Sapthami.
Lord Krishna entrusted this work to Dharmaraja, the eldest of the Pandavas, who
was the successor to the throne at Hasthinapur.

At present the festival is celebrated for 11 days commencing from Phalguna Suddha
Shasti (February-March). One day before Phalguna Suddha Purnima, i.e. on
Caturdasi, the marriage of Santha Narasimha Swamy, Sridevi and Bhoodevi is
celebrated. The Agama sastra is followed for this celebrations. Before the marriage,
Chenchus celebrate on the occasion of Narasimha Swamy marrying their daughter,
Chenchu Lakshmi. On that night, Narasimha Swamy comes by His Sesha Vahanam
and participates in Eduru Kola.

The next day after the marriage is Purnima, on which the Holi festival is celebrated.
The same day here, people celebrate Tirunalla, and about 1,000,000 people from
local and from distant places congregate together. The Lord goes on procession in a
big chariot and hundreds of devotees pull His cart with fervour and enthusiasm.

Srirama Navami, Hanumajayanthi, Narasimhajayanthi, Vaikunta Ekadasi and

Mahasivarathri are the other festivals celebrated here on a large scale. On
Mahasivarathri, the Lord goes on procession in a small chariot.

Ksheera Vruksham (The milk tree)

Ksheera vruksham on the Mangalagiri hill is a great attraction, particularly to the

woman devotees. King Sasibandi was advised by Narada to visit pilgrimages, so the
King left the kingdom and his queen for that purpose. When the queen came to know
about this she grew furious and cursed Narada to become a Ksheera vruksham on
the hill within easy reach of devotees. There, for having ill-advised her husband to
desert her and take to penance, the milk tree remains, blessing women at its very
sight and eradicating sins committed out of ignorance or oversight. Narada took this
not as a curse but as a boon since it meant service to humanity. He blessed the
queen with happy life with her husband and a thousand children. Even today,
thousands of women visit and worship the milk tree on Mangalagiri hill for begetting
children.

There is a local legend connected with the making of the procession idols of the
temple. A reputed goldsmith was appointed to make the processional images of the
Lord. The panchalohas (five metals) are melted together in a huge crucible and
smeared over the images to form a brilliant coating. Despite all the goldsmith's skill
and care, the metals kept separating themselves, and this bitter disappointment
continued day after day. He began the process of burning one day after praying for
the Lord's grace, then he heard a voice that success in his work required human
sacrifice. Just then his son rushed to him and asked the father for water to quench
his great thirst. The goldsmith lifted his son and threw him into the molten mixture
of the five metals and the body disappeared in no time. The amalgam was cast and
beautiful icons of the Lord were then completed. After completing the work, the
goldsmith thought about his son and called out in agony, come my son and I will give
you water to quench your thirst. It is believed that the body jumped out of the image
and stood before his father.

Gali Gopuram (Tower)

Thoorpu Gali Gopuram (the tower on the East Side) is a main attraction of the
Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple. Vijayanagara kings constructed three storeys
and Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu constructed another 8 storeys. Raja Vasireddy's
addition was constructed from 1807 to 1809. The height of this temple is 153 feet
and the width is 49 feet. It is very rare to find towers that have less width and more
height than this tower.
Utthara Gali Gopuram (the tower on the North Side) is opened on the Vaikunta
Ekadasi (Mukkoti) day. It was constructed by Rangapuram Jamindar Madapati
Venkateswararao in 1911. When Padamati Gali Gopuram (the tower on the West
Side) was being constructed, some of the stones accidentally fell down and some
workers died. Due to this incident the work was stopped and has not been started till
now. Dhakshina Gali Gopuram (the tower on the South Side) was renovated in 1992
for Krishna pushkaras by the initiative of the Executive officer, Sri Nootakki Kotaiah.

Source : Mangalagiri Pattana Vikasa Mandali

Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh, Part 4
BY: SUN STAFF

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami, Dharmapuri

Feb 25, CANADA (SUN) — A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious

abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

In yesterday's segment, we featured an image described as Lord Nrsimhadev on a

Simha (lion) Vahana. The image was acquired from a Mangalagiri temple archive,
and the representation of the Lord's lion vahana (carrier) jives with sastric
descriptions of one of Nrsimhadeva's vahanas. However, one of our readers advises
us that this image is not Lord Nrsimhadev, but rather a Durga expansion called
Prathyangira devi, who is recognizable by garment and crescent. At the moment we
are unable to confirm either opinion from sastric descriptions of form and
iconography, but we call the question to our reader's attention. The contested image
has been replaced in the feature article, but can be seen here.

Three of the most well-known shrines of Lord Narasimhadev in Andhra Pradesh are
found in Ahobilam, Simhachalam, and Mangalagiri. Today we move on from our first
three segments on Mangalagiri to the Karimnagar district, Telengana region of
Andhra Pradesh. There, in the town of Dharmapuri is found the Sri Lakshmi
Narasimha Swami Devasthanam, in which Yoga Narasimha resides.

On average, more than 1,000 devotees each day visit Lord Narasimha at
Dharmapuri. The holy dhama of Dharmapuri is the place where Ugra Narasimha went
to cool his temper after killing the demon Hiranyakasipu. At Dharmapuri, the Lord
went into a deep meditation with yoga mudra, thereby getting His name of Yoga
Narasimha. The shrine was built in honor of the Lord's pastime by the King of
Dharmapuri, Dharma Varma, who was a staunch devotee of Narasimhadev. King
Dharma Varma is said to have performed meditation on Lord Brahma and Visnu,
asking to be given a vision of Lord Narasimha in the Sowmya-roopam as opposed to
the terrifying Ugra form. Lord Brahma bestowed this boon on the King.

Dharmapuri

Dharmapuri is well known for its rich culture and artistic community, which includes
theatre, classical music and poetry. There are many temples in the town besides Sri
Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Mandir. One, the Shiva panchayatanam, is a miniature
temple housing Deities of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesh, Nagaraja and
Nandiswara.

Dharmapuri is located on the banks of the River Godavary, and is therefore called
Dakshin Kashi. A Vedic school and Sanskrit college are located here. The dhama is
also called Hari Hara Kshetra due to the presence of Lord Shiva in the form of
Ramalingeshwara. Other Deities to be found here that are quite rare include Lord
Brahma, Lord Yamadharmaraja, and Lord Shiva in a form other than his typical
Lingakaram form. Also found here are Deities of Balarama and Murali Krsna, along
with eight images of Hanuman.

Each day, a number of nitya-sevas are performed on the main altar of Sri Lakshmi
Narasimha Swami Devastanam. These include suprabhata seva, abhishekam, nitya
archana, nivedana and neerajana manthra pushpam, sarva darshanam and archana,
sahasra namarchana, sarva darshanam and nitya kalyanam, maha nivedana and
archana, srva darshanam and archana, and finally sashwata nidhi seva, Laxmi
asthottaram, kumkumarchana and nivedana.

Sri Sri Laxmi Narasimha Swamy

Special pujas include Sri Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Nitya Abhisheka Saswata Nidhi,
Sri Venkateswara Swamy Ksheerabhisheka Shaswata Nidhi, Narasimha Navaratra
Sashata Nidhi Nitya Kalyanam, and Yoga Narasimha Swami Saswata Nidhi
(Abhisekham, Seva, Kumkumarchana).

The Brahmotsavams, typically known as jatara in local dialect, are celebrated every
year during the month of Phaluguna, which falls generally in February or March.
Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh, Part 5
BY: SUN STAFF

Sri Varaha Laksmi-Nrsimha, Presiding Deity at Simhachalam

Feb 26, CANADA (SUN) — A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious

abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

Varaha Laksmi-narasimha Temple at Simhachalam

Simhachalam, the Hill of the Lion (Simha means "lion", and chalam means "hill"), is
located 18 km from Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Here we find a most beautiful
11th century temple in which resides the presiding Deity, Sri Varaha Laksmi-
narasimha. Millions of devotees each year come to visit Lord Varaha Lakshmi-
narasimha, Whose form combines the iconographic features of Varaha and
Narasimha.

The Deity resembles a Shivalingam covered with sandalpaste. Sandal paste was
offered to Lord Nrsimhadev to appease His fury after the slaying of Hiranyakasipu.
Once a year only, during the Chandana Visarjana, the Visaka day in May, (Akshaya
Tritiya day), the sandal paste is removed from the Deity so the devotees will get to
see the real Form of the Lord. The Deity is sculpted in tribhanga posture, having two
hands with the head of a lion on a human torso.

The Nijaroopa Darshan, or appearance in true form, continues for 12 hours and lakhs
of people from various parts of the State gather at the temple to worship the Deity.
Peeling off the old sandal paste from the Deity and applying new paste takes about
18 hours. Devotees get to see the true form of the deity during the inter regnum.

Sandalwood is specially brought from Vellipoottur in Tamil Nadu to be used in

preparing the paste which is applied three times a year, on Vaisakha Pournami,
Jyestha Pournami and Ashadha Pournami. About 120 kg of sandal paste is applied
each time.

On Sravana Pournami, the Lord is covered in the sandal and decorated with opulent
ornaments, known as Karala Chandana Samarpana. Today, Simhachalam temple is
known as the second richest temple, after Tirupati, for donations from pilgrims.

Puranic History of the Temple

The Sthala Purana for the temple describes the temple in 32 chapters, and
Vedavyasa wrote about the original temple in the Skanda Purana.

According to Puranic records, Hiranyakasipu tried to punish his son Prahlada by

throwing him into the sea. He then placed Simhachalam hill over his head in order to
drown him. Lord Narasimha rescued Prahlada, tilted the hill by standing it on one
side so that Prahlada could escape. Later Prahlada founded this shrine.
The Sthala Purana consists of a further account of the foundation of the temple. The
temple was at one time a favorite resort of the demigods, but fell into disuse.
Urvashi, the divine apsara, informed Pururavas that she had come to the Simhadri
hill when Lord Narayana came as Narasimha in order to save Prahlada. Urvashi with
Pururavas found the Gangadhara rivulet flowing west.

Pururavas wished to have darshan of the Lord through penance. On the third day of
meditation he saw the Lord in his dream, telling Pururavas that an ant-hill in front of
the king held the Deity, and the king should offer flowers, sandal wood, music,
lamps, and incense to the Lord. The king woke up, searched the anthill, found the
Deity, renovated the temple and consecrated it. However, he did not find the Lord's
feet. The Lord informed the king that the feet will not be visible, and are hidden in
the earth,. Sight of them will get one salvation, so they should not be seen in pure
form, but only covered with sandal paste. The exception is for one day on Akshaya
Tritiya, when the mere sight of the Lord's feet is enough to bestow salvation. The
Vyasa pournami, the Ashadha pournami days, and the Kalyanotsava in the first week
of April are also important festival days here.

Temple Architecture
The Simhachalam temple faces the West unlike so many others which face to the
East. An east-facing entrance is said to bring prosperity, while the west-facing
entrance brings victory. This ancient temple was renovated by the Chalukyas in the
11th century and again by the Eastern Gangas in the 13th century. Tamil Cholas and
Vijayanagar emperors also patronized it. Built on a hill, the temple has exquisitely
carved halls, with extensive application of both Chalukyan and Orissan styles of
architecture.

The inscriptions on the walls and pillars provide a great deal of information on the
temple's history. There is an inscription dated 1099 AD belonging to King
Kulottungachola, who conquered Kalinga. Another belongs to the Velnati Chief,
Gonka III and is dated 1137 AD, and states that he covered the image of the Lord
with gold. There are a number of inscriptions from the Eastern Ganga kings of
Kalinga. King Narasimha I constructed the central shrine, the Mukhamantapa, the
Natyamantapa, etc. The Reddy king of Rajahmundry, the Vishnu-Vardhana
Chakravarthins of Panchadarla and others also contributed to enriching the temple.
Sri Krishna Devaraya visited this temple twice in 1516 and 1519 AD, and the jewelry
offered by him to the Lord, including an emerald necklace, can still be seen here.

The temple is 800 feet above sea level. A flight of steps leads all the way from the
foot to the top of the hill, to the temple. At the foot of the hill there are choultries for
the pilgrims to stay. Many take bath in the Pushkarani, located near to the foothill.
Pilgrims process up through a grove of trees. On the top north side is found a
wooded hollow surrounded by a wide circle, resembling an amphitheater. This is the
temple of Lord Narasimha of the Northern Circars.

Simhachalam is surrounded by large

mountain upon which grow many trees with
great medicinal values. By visiting this
sthalam, pilgrims are not only blessed by
getting darshan of Sri Narasimhadev, but also
benefit from His mercy by way of the air,
which is mixed with medical herbs that will
cure many diseases.

The temple comprises of a square shrine,

with a tall gopura and mukhamantapa having
a small circular tower over it. The natyamandapam has a stone car drawn by two
horses, and is enclosed by a veranda, into which scenes from the Vishnu Purana
have been sculpted with great skill.

The temple artwork is similar to that of Konark, with elephants, flowers and plants
carved into the walls and lintels. On the outer walls of the sanctum, images of King
Narasimha are presented in various postures. The Kalyana Mandapa within the
temple has 16 pillars with a bas relief depicting the
incarnations of Vishnu.

Outside the enclosure, to the north is the

kalyanamantapam that has 96 exquisitely carved pillars,
where the Kalyana Utsava is performed on the eleventh
day of the Suklapaksha, Chaitramasa every year. Here
Lord Vishnu is represented as Matsya, Dhanvantri and
Varuna. There are also many murtis of Lord Narasimha here. A perennial spring
called gangadhara is found here and is said to have medicinal properties.

One of the pillars in the Mukhantantapa is named Kappam Stambham, or the Pillar of
Tribute. It attracts a large number of pilgrims, in part due to the belief that the pillar
has the power to cure cattle of diseases, and to eliminate barrenness in women.

Source: Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Mandir

Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh, Part 6
BY: SUN STAFF

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami and Rajyalakshmi Sametha

Mattapalli Maha Kshetram

Feb 27, CANADA (SUN) — A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious

abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Maha Kshetra in Mattapalli

In the Huzurnagar taluq, Nalgonda District of Andhra Pradesh is the town of
Mattapalli, which is home to another famous temple of Lord Narasimhadeva. Here,
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami (also known as Sri Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha
Swamy) resides in His maha kshetram cave dwelling beside the Krishna River. The
other presiding Deities of Mattapalli dhama are Sri Raajyalakshmi Thaayar and Sri
Chenchu Lakshmi Thaayar, who are present alongside Lord Narasimha.

Mattapalli is the centre of a cluster of Nrsimhadev temples, which are placed in all
four directions: Vedadri, Vadapally, Vethapuram and Mangalagiri. Together, the five
temples are known as the Pancha Narasimha Kshetras.

The importance of Mattapalli Kshetram is seen in this verse:

ekameva kshetram, mattapalli kshetram,

na anyat kshetram, mattapalli tulyam,
ekameva tatvam, mattapalli naatham,
na anyat tatvam, palli Simha tulyam
"Mattapalli is the only pilgrim spot. There is no secondary whatsoever and there is no
equal to it. There is only one Lord and He is the Lord of Mattapalli. There no
secondary whosoever and none is comparable to him."

History of the Mattapalli Kshetra

The Lord has been radiating glory from the Mattapalli cave kshetra since time
immemorial. Originally, Lord Nrsimhadeva was worshipped here only by the rishis
and devas. Sri Bharadwaaja Maharshi worshipped the Deity here every day,
accompanied by various other sages.

Later, during the Kali Yuga, the Lord appeared to a local devotee named Machireddi
in a dream, telling him the location of His transcendental abode. Sri Anumala
Machireddi was the ruler of Thangeda, which is located a few km from Mattapalli, on
the opposite bank of the Krishna river. The Lord instructed Machireddi that his above
could be identified by a tree, the Vedapatri. The Lord instructed Machireddi to open
up the cave so that other devotees could also worship him.

The Maha Kshetram is located in the midst of a dense and lovely forest. At first,
Machireddi and the pandits who accompanied him were unable to locate the
Vedapatritree amongst the others in the forest. Finally, the Lord appeared in
Machireddi's dream and pressed him to search further, near an "Aare" tree hidden
behind the foliage. Machireddi came across a beautiful and effulgent bird seated in
the tree. A monkey then led him to the exact place in the face of the mountain that
needed to be cleared and opened.

Inside the cave, the Deity of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami was found in a seated
posture, under the protection of Sesha naga's hooded head, fully adorned with
Shankha Chakra Gadha. As if the Lord was being worshipped regularly, flowers,
sacred leaves, fruits, etc. were also found there. Overjoyed, Machireddi then
revealed the Maha Kshetram to the general public and constructed a Mukhaalaya.

Mattapalli Cave Temple - Main Tower

Physical

The sanctum sanctorium of Sri Mattapali Kshetram is located inside the cave, facing
west. As soon as one moves down the narrow passage, they immediately come face-
to-face with Sri Narasimha Swami. A bas-relief silver kavacham displays the Lord's
fierce lion form and features a prominent moustache.

Along the wall next to the Lord is His consort, Srimati Rajalakshmi. On her right can
be seen a passage in the rock face. Now blocked, the passage at one time lead out of
the cave, to the river. By this path, Bharadwaja came each day to worship the Deity.
A few years ago, the river flooded up the passage and engulfed the Lord.

The temple's mukha mantapam has 21 pillars with a cement roof. Before the
Vaikunta dvaara (north door) there is a mantapa with five pillars and a cement roof
that was built in the 1970's. It measures 21feet x 18 feet. The mukhamantapam in
front of the sanctum measures 24 feet x 45 feet and is about 20 feet high.

Because the sanctum cannot be circumambulated, the devotees perform

pradakshinam by going around the Dhwajasthambha, where a stone murti of
Hanuman faces the Lord. There is also a Ramanuja Kutam (madapalli or kitchen) to
the north of the temple on the same premises, where the naivedya to the Lord is
prepared.

There is an entrance to the temple which faces the south, and a series of steps
leading down to the river Krishna, just outside the main temple but within the
compound.
 Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami, Mattapalli - Garbhagriha, front view

Description of the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum):

In the Garbhagriha, or sanctum sanctorum, there is a rock above the door into which
is carved a motif of Gaja Lakshmi with two elephants raising their trunks upwards on
either side. The roof of the Garbhagriha the rock cave wall.

The Lord manifested Himself on a rock, which is located on the backside of the
Garbhagriha. Another rock is spread like the hood of Sesha over it. The Form of the
Lord is 1 foot in height. He is seated in Padmasana, holding a chakra in His upper
right hand and Sankha in His upper left hand. His lower left hand is on His left knee,
and His lower right hand is not visible.

On the left side of the Lord are three Namams (Thirumann), and two eyes which are
understood to be the Form of Prahlada Maharaja. A small, lengthy rectangular rock of
about 1 foot is positioned at the feet of the Lord, and it is said to be "Chakri", an
ardent devotee of the Lord who was not given mukti when he requested it, because
the Lord did not want to be separated from him. Instead, the devotee was made into
a rock-like form and placed in the sanctum. Daily abhishekam is performed for this
personality, also.

To the left of the manifested Lord there is a black stone image of Lakshmi devi that is
1.5 feet in height. Sitting on a lotus, she holds lotus flowers in her upper hands while
her lower right hand is in Abhaya posture, and the left hand is in Suchi posture.

Below this Lakshmi image there is another image of Lakshmi, which is carved into a
rock. This Lakshmi is not visible to the visitors, but the image of Rajya Lakshmi is
installed for the darshan of the devotees. She holds the chakra, sankha and lotus
and is in sitting posture. This Laksmi form measures 1.25 feet in height, and she
wears a makuta on Her head. Elsewhere there are copper images of Sudarsana,
Nammazhwar and another Azhwar.

To the right side of the sanctum, leading to the north door are eleven black stone
images of the Azhwars, seven of which face the west while the remaining four face
east. There is a trench on the left side of the Lord at some distance in the cave,
which it is believed to lead to the river Krishna through an underground passage.

Temple Traditions and Festivals

Major celebrations take place at Sri Yogaswami kshetra during the Vykunta Ekadasi
in January and at Kalyana Mahotsvam in May. Vaikhaanasa Aagama is followed here,
and the priest is a Sri Vaisnava hereditary priest. The temple closes each day at
12.30 p.m. and opens briefly before 1.30 p.m. for a final aarthi and distribution of
prasadam. The temple does not open in the evenings, for that time is reserved for
sacred worship by the rishis.

On the occasion of the Brahmotsavas, Mukkoti Ekadasi and Nrsimha Jayanthi, about
5,000 devotees from local and distant places congregate to worship. During festival
days one-act-plays, dramas, dances, harikatha, bhajan and songs are provided for
the pleasure of the Lord and the enrichment of the devotees. Prasadam is distributed
to all the pilgrims.

Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh, Part 7

BY: SUN STAFF
Feb 28, CANADA (SUN) — A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious
abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy in Yadagirigutta

Another of Andhra Pradesh's famous temple abodes of Lord Narasimhadev is found in
the Nalgonda region, in the town of Yadagirigutta, 70 kms from Hyderabad. Because
the sage Yadarishi is said to have been granted his wish to see the Lord here, the
place became known by the name Yadagiri (giri means hill in Sanskrit, and gutta,
which means hillock in Telugu. (The "gutta" seems to have been a latter-day suffix.)
Being reputed as a place of worship for the sages, Yadagirigutta is also known as
Rushi Aradhana Kshetram.

The sanctum is a natural cave on the Yadagiri hill. Jwala Narasimha (the Lord of
flame), Ghandabheranda Narasimha (without an image) and Yoga Narasimha are all
worshipped here, in addition to a silver Deity of Lakshmi-Narasimha and a shrine to
Aandaalamma.

Two rock formations in the sanctum wall are revered as Jwala Narasimha and Yoga
Narasimha respectively. The Jwala Narasimha resembles a serpent, while the Yoga
Narasimha image is Lord Narasimha's Form in meditation. In His form of Yoga
Narasimha, it is understood that the Lord grants healing, both physical and of
spiritual benefit, to His sincere aspirants.

The temple is at a height of 300 feet on Yadagiri hill. It is said that the sacred Vedas
took the form this hill so as to bear upon its head the Yogananda Narasimhaswamy.
On the foothill there is Vaikuntha Dwara entrance, which features a shrine to Sri
Hanuman. There is also a gap in the rock representing Ghandabheranda Narasimha.
Also on Yadagiri hill is a temple dedicated to worship of Lord Shiva.

History of the Temple

There are Puranic and traditional accounts of this Sri Narasimhadev shrine, with
mention of the origin of this temple in the Skanda Purana.

In Tretayugam, there lived a sage named Yadarishi, who was the son of the great
sage Rishyasrunga and Santa Devi, who did penance inside a cave with the blessings
of Anjaneya on the hill between Bhongir (Bhuvanagiri) and Raigiri (now in Nalgonda
district). Pleased with the sage's deep devotion, Lord Narasimha appeared before
him in five different forms, as Jwala, Yogananda, Gandabherunda, Ugra and Lakshmi-
narasimha. These five Form later manifested Themselves into the finely sculpted
forms that came to be worshipped as Pancha-narasimha Kshetram.

Known as the Pancha Narasimha Kshetra, this holy dhama lies on the bank of the
River Krishna. There are several independent temples existing at different places, the
principal one of which is the shrine of Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy. There
are two separate mandirs for Rajyalakshmidevi and Godadevi, both elegantly built.
There is another shrine for Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy, the second of the five
dedicated to the Lord. The third one, an ant-hill is found on the top of the hill and is
called Jwalanarasimhaswamy. The fourth one is said to be a Salagram From in the
River Krishna, which only gives Darshan when the river recedes backwards. The fifth
one is found on the hill called Garudachalam, which lies a short distance away. The
deity is called by two names - Vugranarasimhaswamy and Viranarasimhaswamy. All
these places are exercising a great pull on the hearts of the Nrsimha-bhaktas.

At Yadagiri hill, the Lord appeared first as Jwala Narasimha. When Yadarishi was
unable to face the intensity of this manifestation, the Lord appeared in a peaceful
form as Yoganarasimha (in a padmasana posture with open palms on His knees). Not
satisfied with the Lord appearing alone, Yadarishi desired to see Him with His
consort, so the Lord is said to have appeared with Lakshmi on his lap, thus He is
known as Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy.

To see these three forms, pilgrims go through an entrance that narrows down into a
dark cave. The cave is under a large rock which forms a sloping roof, about five feet
high in the middle. Pilgrims must duck their heads to get through the formation, thus
involuntarily bowing to the Lord.

At the end of the cave are the actual images of the Lord. Two rocks are fastened to
each other and form a vertical cup. On the other side of the rock is found an image
in the shape of a serpent head, ending like its tail. This is said to be the aspect of
God known as Jwala Narasimha. It is said that a divine serpent still moves about the
temple image.

On the opposite rock, is the Yogananda Narasimha image of the Lord, along with the
third manifestation as Lakshmi Narasimha, which appears on the same rock. The
fourth form, Ugra Narasimha, reveals His Fierce Mouth at the wide entrance to the
cave, because it was beyond the strength of the sage to see that Form.

Gandabherunda (the garuda pakshi) is the fifth Form of the Lord, which is said to
have been found sculpted in rock underneath the Anjaneya, known as
'Kshetrapalaka', or the One Who ruled over that hill). This form is known only by the
presence of an eternal lamp that burns within a crevice beneath Sri Anjaneya
sannidhi. All these forms are known as swayambhu or self-emanated.

As these rupams of the Lord are sometimes difficult to see in the small crevices
inside the cavern that serves as His sannidhi, Lord Narasimha and Lakshmi also
stand together as large silver utsava murthis as Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha. It is this
Form of the Lord that is best known and most often worshipped by devotees at the
temple. The Lord's hand is raised in the abhaya dana mudra, granting fearlessness.

Standing brilliantly atop the sikharam of garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) of the
temple is a golden Sudarshana chakra of the Lord. It measures about 3 ft. x 3ft., and
can be seen up to 6 km. Away. It is said that many years ago, the chakra moved in
the direction from which the devotees came as if it were a compass guiding them
towards the Lord.
With respect to Sri Yogananda Narasimhaswamy's great mercy on the devotees, one
account describes it as follows: "Over the centuries, and particularly in recent years,
Sri LakshmiNarasimhan has revealed an interesting side of His Compassionate
Nature by taking on the role of a Divine Doctor. Many devotees tell of vivid dreams in
which the Lord comes to heal them from chronic or terminal illnesses, and even
mental or emotional problems. Often times, the Lord Himself has imparted
mantropadesham to select devotees in their dreams. Those visiting the temple have
often come out of an overwhelming desire to be there, and just as mysteriously,
those leaving the temple leave with the knowledge and satisfaction that their
illnesses have been cured; a feeling that is often proved true upon their next visit to
their family physician. It is for this reason that the Lord has come to be known as Sri
Vaidya Lakshmi-Narasimhan."

Temple Activities

The Aradhanam and Puja at this temple are performed according to Pancharatra
Agamam. The puja vidhanam (Puja procedure) was set by Late Sri Vangeepuram
Narasimhacharyulu, who composed Yadagiri Suprabhatam, Prapatti, Stotram,
Mangalashasanam and served as Sthanacharya of this temple. Vaikhanasa agama
worship is offered in all the Panchanarasimha kshetras.

The Kalyanotsav falling in the month of Vaisakha Suddha Eakadasi is celebrated on a

grand scale. Another annual festival that lures huge crowds of devotees here is
Narasimha Jayanthi. Besides the locals, thousands from far off places too visit on
account of its antiquity and the ease of accessibility to the Lord.
Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh, Part 8
BY: SUN STAFF

Lord Narasimhadev, Vedadri Temple

Feb 29, CANADA (SUN) — A tour of some of Lord Nrsimhadev's glorious

abodes in Andhra Pradesh.

Vedadri Temple
 Lord Narasimha in Vedadri and Vadapalli
The holy dhama of Ahobilam is populated by nine prominent Forms of Lord
Narasimha, worshipped throughout the Ahobilam Hills. These Nava Narasimha
Kshetra manifestations of the Lord are surrounded by many other Nrsimhadeva
shrines located throughout the countryside of Andhra Pradesh.

The upper Ahobilam temple is located at about 2,800 ft. above sea level and is
positioned in a valley between two sacred hills: Garudadri and Vedadri, through
which the River Bhavanasani flows. These two hills are conceptualized as the
separation of the pillar from which the ferocious Lord Narasimhadev emerged to
destroy Hiranyakasipa.

Vedadri Temple

The Vedadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple is located on the River Krishna,
approximately 10 kms. from Chillakallu, near Vijayawada. Here, Ugra Narasimha is
the presiding Deity.

The temple structure is conventional, being brightly colored and ornamented with a
variety of images. A beautiful Form of Narasimha Swami in yoga pose (above) greets
devotees on the outside of the temple. The Lord is joined by murtis of Lord Varaha,
Laksmi devi, Garuda, Hanuman, and other transcendental personalities and figures.
The utsava idols are extraordinarily high and impressive, and the dwajasthamba of
imposing girth and height. In the waters of the Krishna River, Lord Narasimha can
also be found in Salagram form.

Lord Varahadeva

Vadapalli Narasimha Swami Temple

The Vadapalli temple is situated in Nalgonda district near the town of Miryalaguda, at
the confluence of the River Krishna and Musi River. These two rivers very unusually
come together in the shape of an "L".

Vadapalli is also a famous place of worship for Lord Shiva's devotees. The two main
temples are the Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha Swami temple and a Sri meenakshi
Agasteswara temple, which was constructed by the Kakatiya rulers in the 12th
century. There, a Shivalinga is said to always hold a certain level of water, no matter
how much water is removed.

There are Puranic references to the history of Lord Narasimha's appearance at

Vadapalli. According to the Puranas, Vyasa Bhagavan, knowing the piousness of the
place, meditated for a long time on the manifestation of Sri Narasimha Swamy. The
Lord benedicted him by manifesting in his ferocious Ugra form.

Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha Swami, Vadapalli

Vyasa Bhagavan experienced Lord Narasimha at the moment when His breath was
filled with tremendous anger, so he concluded that the Lord had come to him just
after killing Hiranyakasipu. Therefore, he prayed to Sri Narasimha Swamy to manifest
at Vadapalli in that Form only. Accordingly, Lord Narasimhadeva manifested there to
bless the devotees and to alleviate their suffering. Even now, it is said that the Deity
breathes in out. The temple priests have arranged two lamps here. One lights the
face of the Lord and can be seen to quiver, as evidence of the fact that the Lord is
continually breathing in and out. The second lamp, kept below, burns resolutely.

The Vadapalli and Vedadri temples in Krishna District are also understood to be two
of a group of five Narasimha temples which together, form a holy dhama, or religious
collective. The other three temples in the group are located at Mattapalli in
Nalgonda District, Ketavaram and Mangalagiri in Guntur District.

Although built during different time periods, these five Sri Narasimha temples are
connected historically, by the devotees' worship of the Deities, and through their
iconography. Author Dr. Anu Vedagiri has published a scholarly study of these five
temples in her book, "Five Narasimha Temples in Andhra Pradesh" (2004). In her
book, she identifies three prevalent iconographic themes that are associated with the
five temples. These include the role of Laksmi devi as the primary servant of
Narasimhadev, the importance of the Krishna River, and the underlying Tantric
affiliation within the Vaisnava ritual practices in the temples.
Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh: Antarvedi

Located in the western Godavari district, the village Antarvedi is located 15 km. from
Sakhinetipalli mandal and 10 km. from Narsapur. The village is placed at the confluence
of the Bay of Bengal and the Vasishta Godavari, one of the seven branches of the
Godavari River. It is said that the sage Vasistha brought the River Godavari to its place,
and this is one of the most sacred bathing spots in the entire Godavari delta. The place of
confluence is known as the Sapta Sagara Sangam Pradesam. Antarvedi is the last and the
most important of the seven sacred bathing spots positioned along the river here. Because
of its sacred nature, it is also called "dakshina Kasi" (southern Kashi).

Antarvedi is one among the thirty-two most reputed Narasimha Kshetras of Andhra
Pradesh, and is one of 108 Narasimhadeva shrines in the area. It is famous for the temple
of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, which was built during the 15th -16th centuries A.D.
It's sometimes called an island temple because Antarvedi has a tributory of River
Godavari meeting the sea (Sagara Sangamam), whereas the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha
Swamy temple is located on the other side, closer to the bank of Godavari, which is also
called Vasishta Godavari.

One of the unique aspects of the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple is that the Deity
is facing towards West instead of East, the usual direction. The main temple has a five-
storey vimana (gopuram) and apart from the presiding Deity, Lord Nrsimhadeva, there
are also Deities of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheswara. Lord Brahma sanctified this place
by performing the rudra yaga Vedic austerities here for purification, and it is therefore
called 'Antarvedi'. Neighboring temples include Nilakanteswara, Sri Rama, and
Anjaneya. Nearer to Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, Lord Shiva temple is also
located, with Neelakanteswara and Brahma stapana.
 The Story of Raktavilochana

In Kritayuga, Sanaka Rsi and his colleagues gathered at Naimisaranya to conduct Satra-
yaga. During their leisure time, they would learn about the distinguished and significant
holy places in Bharat, from Sri Suta Goswami. One day, they asked him to tell about the
greatness and significance of Antarvedi shrine and of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swami.
Sri Suta was pleased to tell the story, which was once told by Lord Brahma to Sage
Narada.

Sage Vasista, after mingling the Goutami branch of the Godavari into the sea, established
his Ashram there. Lord Brahma, to get freed from the sins he had committed against Lord
Sankara, performed Rudra-yaga and installed Lord Neelakantheswara there. As that place
was made a stage or vedik to perform the yaga, it was named "Antarvedi". It is the place
between the Vasishta river.

Raktavilochana, the son of Hiranyaksha, did tremendous penance for ten thousand years
on the banks of Vasishta River to please Lord Siva and get his mercy. Lord Sankara was
very much pleased with Raktavilochana's penance and appeared before him. He promised
to bless him with whatever he desired, and Raktavilochana asked for a boon wherein the
number of sand particles drenched by the blood drops falling from his body onto the
ground at war would produce an equal number of rakshasas as strong and vigorous as
himself. The demons would then assist him at war and become one with him after killing
all the enemies. Lord Sankara was astonished at the demon's uncommon desire, but
impressed by his penance he granted the demon's desires. Raktavilochana then began
harassing the brahmins, the demigods, the saints and the cows, and obstructed the yagas
and Vedic rituals.

Sage Viswamitra later found an opportunity to take vengeance against the sage Vasishta,
and provoked Raktavilochana to kill Vasishta's hundred sons in his absence. The demon
did so, causing an irreparable loss to Arundhati and Vasishta. Arundhati, Vasishta's wife,
wept terribly over the death of her sons and prayed to Vasishta, who was then at
Brahmaloka. The sage, by his divine vision, came to know of all that had happened at this
hermitage. He returned to his ashram and prayed for Lord Narasmiha's grace, imploring
the Lord to prevent Raktavilochana from wreaking further destruction.

Prahlada varadam Vishnum Nrusimham Paradivatam

Saranam Sarvalokaanaamaapannaarti Nivaaranam

To save his devotees, Lord Narasimhadeva appeared along with Goddess Lakshmi, and
carried on Garuda Vahana, they appeared before Vasishta. After singing the Lord's
glories, Vasishta appealed to Him about the arrogance of the demon and his cruelty in
killing his sons. He then prayed to the Lord to descend at his ashram after killing the
demon, so that he could worship Him always there.

Lord Narahari blew the Panchajanya, inviting the demon to war. Raktavilochana heard
the thundering noise of Panchajanya and like a cyclone, enveloped the Lord and engulfed
Him in battle. The demon shot all types of weapons at the Lord, but Lord Narahari could
attack and smash them with His only weapon, the Sudarsana Chakra. In this way He
wounded the sensitive parts of the demon's body.
As a result of the bloodshed, the soil particles drenched by the blood drops falling onto
the ground from Raktavilochana's body produced an equal number of demons as strong
and vigorous as Raktavilochana, just as the earlier boon from Lord Shiva had promised.
The demons having been thus generated they began hurting Garuda, who attacked them
in such a way that they could not withstand him. The demon-king saw this and threw his
weapons, one after another, at Sri Garuda but they could not harm him, as Lord Narahari
destroyed them on the way with his Sudarsana Chakra.

The Lord also manifested Maya Shakti to help prevent the blood of the demon falling
onto the ground. The Lord eventually chopped off the hands of Raktavilochana with
Sudarshana Chakra and killed him, along with his asura fighters. The blood was stopped
by Maya Shakti and was then released by her as a reddish river, which is known as the
Raktakulya. This river cannot be crossed over, even by the demigods and demons.

Maya Shakti rode a horse, and so she is called Aswarudhamba, or Gurralakka. After
killing the demons, the place where the Lord washed his chakra-yudha become known as
Chakrateertham. A dip at that holy place will wash away all sins. There are five important
spots at this holy shrine namely, the Sea, the Sagar Sangam, the Vasishta River, the
Raktakulya River, and the Chakrateertham.
Joyous at the victory, Vashista consecrated the Deity of Lord Narasimha at Antervedi, and
all the demigods came to sing of the Lord's glories. The Lord told them about the
significant greatness of the shrine in future. He described Antarvedi in many ways,
including as being the easiest means for achieving the ultimate Mukti.

Later on at the request of the sages, Suta explained in detail about the sacred and splendid
power of the Lord of Antarvedi, the affects of doing any harm to the place, and the
remedy for it. He told them the story of Santhana as an illustration. Once Santhana by
mistake lost his divinity and was cursed as unworthy to ascend to divinity. Indra's sons
used to take away all the flowers from a garden cultured by Ruchi at Antarvedi. Ruchi
was very much worried about this. Lord Narahari appeared to him in a dream and advised
him to keep the flowery remnants of worship of the temple around the garden. He did so
on the next day. As usual, Indra's son descended to the earth in his chariot, but he could
not find them there, as he lost his divinity by passing over the flowery-remnants. Then his
driver told him the cause for it. At his master's request before returning to the Heavens,
he also advised him to perform Mahasatrayaga for twelve years and to eat the food
remnants after they were tasted by the Brahmins. Indra's son did so, and the Brahmins
learned from him about the purpose of doing so and blessed him. He then regained his
divinity and returned to the Heavens, ascending in his divine chariot. Santhana was
advised by Narada to follow Indra's son, and he also did so at Antarvedi and regained
divinity.

The Laksmi Narasimha Swami Temple

Over time during the Kaliyuga, Antarvedi became a jungle and the location of the
Narasimha Swami Deity became lost. A cowherd named Keshavadas was grazing his
cattle nearby, and one day he found that one of his cows, a reddish-brown cow from the
herd, had rained her milk on an anthill behind a bush. She then returned home dry. This
happened day after day. One day, Keshavadas followed her and saw what had been
happening. Not understanding what was taking place, he was simply worried over the
loss of milk. But Lord Narasimhadeva appeared in his dream and asked him to construct
a temple for him at the spot where the milk was being offered. A brahmin scholar in the
village who had sound knowledge of the sastras told Kesavadas that the Lord appearing
in his dream meant that Lord Narasimha was to be worshipped and a temple erected
there.

The cowherd, with the assistance of the villagers, constructed a temple at the anthill.
They made a survey of the anthill area where the cow daily used to shed her milk, and
dug the area after offering coconuts to the Lord. They found a stony sculptured form of
Lord Narasimha and they built a temple right there, in that place. Daily rituals and
festival events have been conducted there since that time. The village where Keshavadas
lived is named after him, as Kesavadasupalem.

After some time, the temple fell into ruin, but it was re-built under the patronage of Sri
Narendra Lakshmi Narasimha Rao, as an offering of thanks to the Lord for protecting his
ships from going down at sea. He donated money and his men, who went to
Bhadrachalam to purchase timber for the re-construction of the temple. The men selected
logs and marked them with the Lord's name, paying money for them.

After buying the logs, the men learned that there was no conveyance to transport the
timber to Antarvedi. The water level of the Godavari River had become too low because
of failure of the monsoons. They appealed to Narasimha Rao about the situation, and the
gentleman did tapas in devotion of the Lord at the seashore, without food continuously
for three days. However, the Lord didn't shower Narasimha Rao with his grace.

Narasimha Rao then got angry and standing in seawater, he said that the Lord was a
destitute lion who could not even come and see logs of wood arranged for the
construction of His temple. That same night there was heavy rain which brought all the
logs of wood that were marked with the Lord's Name right to the gantaghat of Antarvedi.
Thus the temple was erected. A foundation stone was laid for the reconstruction of the
temple in 1923.

Temple Events and Festivals

The Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Kalyanam fair is celebrated each year on the Bhishma
Ekadasi day during January-February. Lakhs of people attend the celebrations and the
devotees come to take bath at the confluence of the sea and Vasishta Godavari. At the
time of the nine-day mela, Antarvedi appears to be like a Kaliyuga Vaikuntha.

During the month of November, throngs of devotees come to the temple premises to
witness the Deity of Narasimha Swamy without any of the ornaments, garb, or
chandanam (sandal paste) that normally adorn the Lord's Form.

In the month of Phalguna (January), the Lord's chariot procession is held. Dolepournami
celebrations are also held, when the Lord is worshipped with panchamrita abhishekam.
Nrsimhadev Shrines in Andhra Pradesh: Korukonda

In the East Godavari region, Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh, is the village of
Korukonda, an ancient and historical temple and Vaisnava divya kshetra that is home to
Sri Laksmi Harasimha Swami. Korukonda is approximately 20 km. from Rajhmundry
and 60 km. from Kakinada.

There are two temples here in Korukonda, one at the top of a large hill adjacent to the
village, and the other at the foot of the hill, in the village proper. Pilgrims ascend a flight
of 650 stone steps in order to have darshan of Sri Sri Laksmi-Narasimha Swami, the
presiding Deity of Korukonda.

Temples are found all along the East Godavari River in this area, and there are several
Narasimha Swamy temples, including the one at Dharmapuri and another at Antarvedi
(tomorrow's segment), where Lord Nrsimhadev is said to have thrown the body of
Hiranyakasipu after slaying him. At Korukonda, the Lord is known as "Satvika
Narasimha'', because He is accompanied here by His consort, Laksmi devi.
Of the two temples in Korukonda, one is swayambuvu (self-manifested) while the other
houses the prathista (installed) Deity. The swayambhuvu is situated at the top of the long
flight of steps.

The swayambuvu Deity Lord Narasimhadev which appears in a holy place near the top of
this hill measures about 9 inches in height. The prathistaDeity is nearer the bottom and
has much silpa soundaram around it. There are number of sila-sasanams which have
appeared at the temple as well, on the top of the hill.

The temple was constructed about 700-800 years ago by the family of Parasara Bhattar,
whose descendants continue to oversee the temple as trustees to this day.
In his poetry, the great sage Sri Srinatha prayed to Lord Narasimhadev, stating that this
Korukonda is "Vedadri". This belief is said to be supported by the sila-sasanam found at
Lakshmaneswaram Village, Narsapur Taluk, W.G. District, which related to 1443 A.D.

An interesting inscription is found on one of the pillars in the temple compound. It states
that the Vaisnava guru of King Mummadi-Nayaka of Korukonda left his mortal body and
reappeared in the form of Narasimhadev on the top of the Parasara hill. A woman named
Lakshmidasi of that town saw this in a dream and revealed it to Mummadi-Nayaka. With
the permission of the Nayaka, she went about begging for money which she used to
formally consecrate the image of Narasimha on the hill. King Mummadi-Nayaka made a
gift of two villages and some lands and gardens to the temple. The inscription gives a
genealogy of Mummadi-Nayaka and says that he ruled over the country on both sides of
the Godavari in an area consisting of Panara, Kona, Kuravataka, and Chengara Districts,
etc.

The Government have proposed new developments and improvements in the area around
this temple, which is an increasingly popular destination for pilgrims. Nearby at the
Jonnavalasa Railway gate there is also a Hare Krishna asrama.

Temple Worship and Festivals

Daily rituals at the Sri Laksmi Narasimha Swamy temple are performed according to
Vaisnava Vyghanasa Agama Sastra. Regular festivals held at the temple include the
following:

Sri Swamy Vari Kalyana Mahostavam (Phalguna Suddha Ekadasi) (March)

Telugu New Years Day (Chaitra Suddha Padyami) (March/April)
Sri Ramunjula vari Thiru Nakshtram (May)
Godavari Pushkara Mahostavam (Sravana Masam - Entrance of Guru in Simha Rasi)
(July/August once in 12 Years)
Sri Vaisnava Krishnastami
Sarannavarathri Utsavam (Sri Lakshmi Poojalu) (Asveeja Suddha Padyami) (October)
Dhanurmasa Rituals (Margasira Masam) (December)
Mukkoti Mahostavam (Sudda Ekadasi) (January)
 Lord Nrsimha holding the Disc, Lotus, Club and Conch

Lord Vishnu descends in the forms of a variety of avatars, all of whom are non-
different from Him. All the avatars are of the nature of sat-cid-ananda: eternity, bliss
and knowledge. They reside in the spiritual world, Vaikuntha. When They descend
into the material world, They are called "avatara" (literally, "descent"). Any attempt
to minimize the transcendental status of any avatar constitutes an offense and is a
stumbling block on the path of self-realization. And to understand Lord Nrsimha, one
must first appreciate the transcendence of Vishnu.
The scriptures describe Lord Nrsimha as prominently manifesting all six attributes of
God - strength, wealth, renunciation, splendor, energy, wisdom. "In Nrsimha, Rama,
and Krishna, all the six opulences are fully manifest." (nrsimha-rama-krsnesu sad-
gunyam paripuritam--Padma-purana).

Lord Krishna or Lord Narayana is considered to be the origin of the other

transcendental forms of God. From Narayana, Vasudeva is manifest, and from
Vasudeva, Sankarsana is manifest (Agni-purana 48.13). And according to the
scriptures, Lord Nrsimha is an expansion (amsha) of Sankarsana. [Padma-tantra
1.2.31 and Vishnu-dharmottara-purana 3.78(2).5-7 (haris Sankarsanamsena
Nrsimha-vapur dharah)] Just as Sankarsana destroys the universe, Lord Nrsimha
destroys all ignorance and all sins arising from body, mind and speech.

Lord Narsimha Himself is recognized in the scriptures by a variety of forms. The

Vihagendra-samhita (4.17) of the Pancaratra-Agama enumerate more than seventy
forms of Nrsimha. Most of these forms are distinguished by the arrangements of
weapons in the hands, His different postures, or other subtle distinctions.

Of these seventy-four, nine are very prominent (Nava-vyuha-nrsimha):

Ugra-nrsimha Kruddha-nrsimha Vira-nrsimha

Vilamba-nrsimha Kopa-nrsimha Yoga-nrsimha
Aghora-nrsimha Sudarsana-nrsimha Laksmi-nrsimha

Other forms are as follows:

Amrta-nrsimha (representing the five elements)

Astamo-diina-vallabhah (Beloved to the wretched)
Attahasa-nrsimha (roars horribly and majestically strides out
to destroy evil)
Avesha-nrsimha (a frenzied form)
Brahma-nrsimha, Vishnu-nrsimha, and Rudra-nrsimha
Chanda-nrsimha (ferocious)
Chhatra-nrsimha (seated under a parasol of the five-hooded
serpent)
Chakra-nrsimha (with only a discus in hand)
Caturthaastu-vidhaaranah (One who rips apart)
Dashamo-'nanta hastakah (One who has unlimited hands)
Dvaadashah-karuna nidhih (Ocean of Mercy)
Dvitiiyas-tugrakesharih (Angry Lion)
Ekaadasho-mahaa-raudro (Terrible One)
Ghora-nrsimha (ferocious)
Grahana-nrsimha (catching hold of the demon)
Jvala-nrsimha (with a flame-like mane)
Laksmi-nrsimha (where Laksmi pacifies Him)
Navamo-prahlaada-varado (Benefactor of Prahlada)
Pan-casya-pan-camashcaiva (One who has five mouths)
Prasada-nrsimha or Prahlada-varada-nrsimha (Benign
Protector of Prahlada)
Pratamaastu-mahaajvaalo (Greatly fiery one)
Prthvi-nrsimha, Vayu-nrsimha, Akasa-nrsimha, Jvalana-
 nrsimha and Pusthi nrsimha (worshipped for overcoming
evil influences)
Samhara-nrsimha (killing the demon)
Saptamo-daitya hantaa ca (The Killer of the demons)
Shasta-kashipu mardhanah (Killer of Hiranyakashipu)
Stambha-nrsimha (coming out of the pillar)
Svayam-nrsimha (manifesting on His own)
Tritiiyah-krsna pingaaksah (One with Blackish Brown Eyes)
Vidarana-nrsimha (ripping open of the belly of the demon)
Yoga-nrsimha or Yogesvara-nrsimha (in meditation)

There are still other varieties that are standing, riding on Garuda, alone, in company,
benign, ferocious, and multi-armed (two to sixteen). All of these forms point to the
diversity in transcendence of the Nrsimha-Avatar.

In Ahobila, Andhra Pradesh, the ten forms are as follows:

1. Kshatra-vata-nrsimha (seated under a banyan tree)

2. Yogananda-nrsimha (who blessed Lord Brahma)
3. Karanja-nrsimha
4. Bhargava-nrsimha
5. Ugra-nrsimha (ferocious)
6. Kroda-nrsimha
7. Malola-nrsimha (with Laksmi on His lap)
8. Jvala-nrsimha (8-armed form rushing out of the pillar)
9. Pavana-nrsimha (who blessed the sage Bharadvaja)
10. Prahlada-padi nrsimha

Source: http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/02-08/features939.htm