"Garudaadri
Bilaa Gehe Gaja Kunda Sarasthate Hiranyasthwanahankara Hari Simhaaya
Mangalam"
The visit
to this Ahobilam Narasimha Temple at Ahobilam was a part of the Ahobilam Temples
Visit, on 25th and 26th August 2025, organised
by Mantra Yatra (website). Thanks to Mr Balaji Davey and
his team of Mantra Yatra for the excellent arrangement and personal care.
The list of Ahobila nine Narasimha Temples, considered as a single Divya Desam, and the individual posts' links of this blog are given below.
Jwala Ahobila Maha Lola!
Kroda Karancha Bhargava!
Yogananda Kshatravata!
Pavaneya Nava Moorthayah!!
All the above nine Narasimha Swamy Temples at Diguva
(Lower) Ahobilam and Eguva (Upper) Ahobilam are considered as one Divya Desam of 108 Divya Desams. Mangalasasanam was
done by Thirumangai Alwar. Thirumangai Alwar mentions this Ahobilam as Singavel
Kundram in his Pasuram (1008-17).
அங்கண்ஞாலமஞ்ச
அங்கோராளரியாய் அவுணன்
பொங்கவாகம்வள்ளுகிரால் போழ்ந்தபுனிதனிடம், பைங்கணானைக்கொம்புகொண்டு
பத்திமையால், அடிக்கீழ்ச்
செங்கணாளியிட்டிறைஞ்சும் சிங்கவேள்குன்றமே (1008)
செங்கணாளிட்டிறைஞ்சும்
சிங்கவேள்குன்றுடைய,
எங்களீ
சனெம்பிரானை இருந்தமிழ்_ற்புலவன், மங்கையாளன் மன்னுதொல்சீர் வண்டறை தார்க்கலியன், செங்கையாளன்
செஞ்சொல்மாலை வல்லவர்த்திதிலரே.
(1017)
Moolavar : Sri
Narasimha Swamy
Thayar : Sri
Maha Lakshmi as Chenchu Lakshmi,
As a Tribal Girl.
Some of the salient features of this temple are…
The
temple is faced with a 3-tier Rajagopuram on the west and a 2-tier Rajagopuram on
the east. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Garudan are after the east side
Rajagopuram. Stucco images of Narasimha are on the top of the mukha mandapam.
Dwarapalas
are at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum. The moolavar Narasimha looks beautiful, made of Salagrama stone.
It is 2’ high and is depicted in a sitting posture in the samabhanga posture. The
right leg is folded, and the left leg is dangling down. Narasimha is depicted with his two hands and is depicted tearing out demon Hiranyakasipu's entrails. The
demon is lying on the lap of the god; the demon’s head is to the right and his
legs to the left. The figure of Lakshmi in the form of Srivatsa on the right
chest is very interesting. Iconographically, this image of Narasimha is very
unique. This image very much resembles the image of Narasimha on a plaque from
Manimangalam in the Chengalput district belonging to the Pallava period.
The image is somewhat peculiar stylistically, without conforming completely to any of the prevailing styles, such as Pallava or early Chalukyan, in this region. However, the form of the image is close to that seen in the Ikshvakus or Vishnukundin tradition. A stone image of Prahlada in Anjalihasta is installed in a niche opposite to the idol of the main deity. This image is 1' high.
Thayar
Chenchu Lakshmi, consort of Ahobila Narasimha, is in a separate sannidhi on the
north-western corner inside the temple. A small Gopuram is at the entrance of
the Thayar temple. In the sanctum Thayar image
is about 3’1" high. The goddess is shown as seated in padmasana and as
having four arms; the lower two being in the abhaya and varada hastam, and the upper
ones carrying the lotus bud in each of them. She is richly decked with the
Karanda-makuta and other jewels. The prabhavali is carved in the same stone, and
it has a creeper design.
The
creeper design in the prabhavali, the karanda makuta and the style of the
delineation show that this image is possibly of the 10th - 11th centuries CE.
In
the second cave (4’ 8” high), a Shiva Lingam and images of Vinayagar, Ugra
Narasimha, Sridevi, Budevi, two unidentified images, Garuda and Ramanuja.
Sudarsana
enthral shrine is about 6 feet above the main shrine.
A
Vijayanagara period (antique mandapam) mandapam with a vimanam is on the west
side of the temple premises.
ARCHITECTURE
A cave is in the form of a sanctum sanctorum, ardha mandapam, and a built-up mukha mandapam forms the temple. This is a natural cave, with no definite shape. The Western Wall of the cave is the continuation of the mountain Garudadri, measuring 9'7" x 16' x 5'9", and with north-south orientation. The main deity is placed on a raised platform, approximately 4’ high, and the idol (2' high) faces east.
The
temple proper is rectangular in plan (measuring 201' x 101'9") and faces
east, but the Garbhagriha faces north, because of the orientation and
situation of the natural cave. In general, it consists of a main Temple with a
garbhagriha (in this case a natural cave), on its either side studded with
small shrines, and preceded by a mahamandapa and a pillared mukha mandapa, all
axially aligned east-west, except the garbhagriha. In the same axial line, abutting
the mukha mandapa is a dhvajastambha (21'10") with a balipitha (6'7")
in its front. This unit is located in a large open area, with cloistered
mandapas on all sides, and the eastern gateway leads to the Malola and
Jwala shrines.
The door frame of the garbhagrtha is very crude and
short. There appear to be no decorative details, except the Vaishnava Dwarapalakas at
the base of the door jambs. On either side of the door jamb is a half-size
dvarapalaka image measuring 8'6", now kept standing against the front
wall of the Garbhagriha, but these were not part of the original cave. They
might have been added during the later periods.
In its external elevation, the garbhagrtha is a
plain cave on the eastern and western sides. The southern side is not at
all visible, and on the northern side, the only visible wall has an adhistana
supporting a plain bhitti. The Adhistana
consists of a series of functional mouldings. Upana, the lowermost moulding,
projects beyond the vertical norm and is surmounted by the Jagats. Over this is
the Kumba, which is three-faceted (tripatta-kumuda). Next is the Kantha, a
recessed moulding, oblong in elevation, and connecting the other mouldings
above. The Pattika, which is above the Kantha, is thick. The topmost member of
the plinth is Vedt (also called Pratt)
The pranala meant to drain out water from the
garbhagrtha is visible on the western side at the vedikai level. This project is out of the wall for about 1 foot 8" and has a lion’s face at the end. The
concrete roof over the cave is a recent construction. The garbhagriha is
crowned by a two-tier vesara tower/ vimanam, with one tala, greeva and sigaram.
Some
of the mandapas are Ardha mandapa, Maha mandapa, vahana mandapa, Kalyana
Mandapa, Uyyala mandapa, and Gadwal Mandapa, etc.
The
mukha mandapam was built with beautiful stone pillars, which may have been built during the Chalukya/ Vijayanagara period.
HISTORY
AND INSCRIPTIONS
This is one of the
108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams. Sri Thirumangai Alwar, one of the Alwars who
lived in the 8th century CE, composed ten Pasurams of Nalayira Divya Prabandham
on Ahobilam. Hence, this Nava Narasimhar group of temples might have existed during the 07th to 08th Century CE. Later, the rulers Chalukyas,
Kaktiya, Reddy Kingdom, Vijayanagara, Gadwal Samasthanam, and the British extended
contributions to the Ahobilam Temple. During the Mohammedan invasions, the
temple’s property and jewels were looted and damaged. The same was rectified and
brought back to worship.
There are altogether
30 inscriptions and many copper plates recorded at Ahobilam. These inscriptions
are in the Upper and the Lower. Ahobilam is engraved on the walls, pillars and
stray stone slabs. The earliest of the inscriptions of Ahobilam belongs to the
time of Chalukya Kirtivarman II (744- 755 CE) and the latest to the time of
Venkatapatiraya II (1585-1614 CE). Most of the inscriptions are donor records.
As per the
inscriptions, this place was called ‘Vobula', Ahobala’, Ahobila, 'Ahobilagiri', 'Vedadri’, 'Diguva Tirupati', 'Garudadri’, 'Virakshetra’, 'Achalachaya
Meru’, 'Singavel Kunram', 'Nidhi' and 'Nagari', etc.. Moolavar was called Ahobaleswara.
Vijayanagara Dynasty…
The Vijayanagara
King’s inscriptions in the temple confirm the contributions extended to this Ahobilam
temple. The Mackenzie Manuscript of Ahobilam Temple mentions an inscription,
which records the construction of a Mukha mandapam in Upper Ahobilam in the Salivahana year 1317, corresponding to 1385-86 CE, by King Harihara Maharaya of
Vijayanagara, the son of Bukkaraya.
An important
inscription of Sri Krishna Deva Maharaya indicates that he visited Ahobilam and
offered a necklace, a pendant of diamonds, rubies inset with emerald, a pair of
bangles covered with rubies, a golden plate, and the Thousand Varahas.
"Madur" village in Chagalamarri Seema was gifted to Ahobila Narasimha
Swamy for his "Anga Ranga Bhogas."
The Vijayanagara
King Sadasiva’s, 1548 CE, inscription (A.R. No. 81 of 1915) on a slab set up
in the courtyard of the Narasimhasvamin temple, records the grant of the
village Jambuladinne in Kōyilakunta-sīma for providing six plates of offerings
to the god Ahobalesvara by Mahamandalesvara Nandyala China-Avubhalayya, son of
Narasingayyadeva-maharaju and the grandson of Singarayya-dava-maharaju of
Atreya-gotra and Soma-vamsa for the merit of Havali Peda-Avubhala-deva-maharaju.
The Vijayanagara King Sadasiva’s, 1553 CE,
inscription (A. R. No. 80 of 1915), on a slab set up near the Durudu-mandapa
on the way to upper Ahobalam, records an endowment of twenty varahas as poliyutțu for maintaining offerings during the
sixteen days of festivals every year when god Ahobalesvara was seated in the
sixteen-pillared mandipa built by Mahamandalesvara Apratikamalla Kurucheți Venkatadrideva-maharaju, son of Obuļraju
and grandson of Timmarajaya of Kasyapa-gotra, Apastamba-sutra, Yajus-sakha and
solar race.
The Vijayanagar King Sadasiva’s, 1558 CE,
inscription (A.R. No. 79 of 1915.), on a slab set up near the sixteen-pillared
mandapa on the way to upper Ahobalam, records the grant of a piece of land and
some money by Emberumanar-Jiyyam-garu, the mudrakarta of Vam Sathagopa-Jiyyamgaru
and others for conducting certain festivals when god Ahobalesvara was seated in
the 16 pillared mandapa constructed by Mahamandalesvara Kurucheți Timmaraju, son of Vobulraju and
grandson of Baichana-Devachola-maharaju of the solar race, when the god was
taken (in procession) to Diguva Tirupati and back to the temple (nagaru).
The Vijayanagara King Sadasiva’s, 1560 CE, period
inscription (A. R. No. 78 of 1915), on a slab set up on the way to upper Ahobalam
(a furlong to the south-east of the Narasimhasvamin temple). records the
purchase of a piece of land for 200 varāhas from the temple treasury and gift
of income derived from it for conducting the festivals in a mandapa in front of
the Prahladavarada temple at Diguva Tirupati to god Ahobalesvara by
Maha-mandalesvara Gopinatharaju, son of Goparaju and grandson of Juturi
Bhatraju of the lunar race, Atreya-gotra, Apastamba-sutra, and Yajus-sakha.
The Vijayanagara king Sadasiva’s, 1563 CC,
period inscription on a slab in the courtyard of the Narasimhasvamin temple,
records the construction of a four-pillared mandapa and a matham and registers
the grant of a piece of land in the village of Chinnakomerala in Ghandikota-sima
by Paramkusa van Sathagopa-jiyyamgaru stipulating that the income derived from
this gift land was to be utilised for the offerings on occasions when god Ahobalesvara
was seated in the mandapa during the pancha-parvas when he was taken out in
procession from the hill down and back again.
Gadwal Samasthanam…
Raja Soma Bhoopala
Rayudu of Gadwal Samasthanam became the disciple of the 27th Jeer of Sri
Ahobila Matha, and built a mantapa in Upper Ahobilam, which is famous as
"Gadwal Mantapa," and made arrangements for the daily worship when
Muhammaddens seized the region.
Ref:
1. The
temple’s website
2. South Indian
Inscriptions Volume – XVI,
3. A book on AHOBILAM
SRI NARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE, Prof. R. VASANTHA, published by TTD, Tirupati.
LEGENDS
Hiranyakashipu
(son of Sage Kashyapa) did a penance on Brahma to get a boon of immortality, to
take revenge on Maha Vishnu, who killed his brother Hiranyaksha. Brahma said he
cannot give a boon of immortality. Hiranyakashipu said that if the boon of
immortality cannot be given, alternatively, he asked for a boon of not being
killed by a man or animal, not being killed day or night, not being killed on the floor or in the sky, not being killed outside or inside a specific place, and
not being killed by any weapon. Brahma granted the boon. After obtaining the
boon, he conquered three lokas and took the position of Indra. He thought
himself to be superior to God, and Hiranyakashipu ordered that no one should
pronounce the name of Maha Vishnu and worship him.
In
the meantime, Narada made Parhalad, son of Hiranyakashipu, a devotee of Maha
Vishnu, since he was in the womb of his mother. After Prahalad grew up, he
started worshipping Maha Vishnu. Angered, he tortured his son
and tried to kill him. He asked Prahalad whether Maha Vishnu would come from
the pillar and save him. Prahalad said, “Yes, he will”. Hiranyakashipu hit the
pillar with a mace. Maha Vishnu in the form of Narasimha came out of the pillar, breaking it vertically, took Hiranyakashipu, sat on the door frame and kept him on
his lap. With protruding nails of
fingers, he tore his stomach, took out the intestine, wore it as a garland and
finally killed him.
With
the blood splashed on his hand and face, Maha Vishnu has become more ferocious
and behaves like a demon. Came to this Nallamala forest and roamed. The worried
Devas sought the help of Maha Lakshmi to pacify him. She took the form of
Chenchu Lakshmi, a tribal girl, in the same forest. On seeing her, Lord
Narasimha asked her to marry him. After marriage, Maha Lakshmi, as Chenchu
Lakshmi, sat on the left lap of Naraimha, and he became calm. All the Devas praised Narasimhar as…
"Ahoveeryam
Aho Shouryam Aho Baahu Parakramam Narasimham Param Daivam Ahobilam
Ahobalam".
And
hence this temple is called Ahobala, which has been corrupted to the present
name of Ahobilam.
The
Nellamala hills are personified as Adisesha with his head at Tirumala, middle
at Ahobilam and the tail at Srisailam.
All
the Nine Narshimha are connected to the nine planets. This Ugra Narashimha is
connected to the planet Guru. It is believed that Narasimha will relieve the
obstacles and ensure success for the worshippers.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted from Phalguna Suddha Panchami
to Phalguna Suddha Pournami, as Varshika Utsavam is celebrated by Brahma, etc.
TEMPLE
TIMINGS
The temple will be kept open from 7:00 hrs to 13:00
hrs and from 14:00 hrs to 19:00 hrs.
CONTACT DETAILS
Ahobilam
Math website
Sevas and Bookings /
Enquiry -+91 9440120878
Mr
Narendra Kumar may be contacted on his mobile number 9642844839, for Local
Guide, Poojas, Darshan, Stay, Food, and Jeep for the two temples.
HOW
TO REACH
This temple is called Eguva Narashima Temple and can be reached by vehicle.
This temple is about
8 km from Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, 35 km from Allagada, 72 km from
Nandyal Railway Station, and 112 km from Tadipatri.
The nearest Railway Station is Nandyal Railway Station.
Kalaksheba Mandapam, just above Eguva Narasimhar Temple
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
