"Bharghavaakhya
Thapasweesha Bhavanaa Bhaavithaathmane Akshaya Theertha Theerasthu
Bharghavayaasthu Mangalam"
The visit
to this Bhargava Narasimha Swamy Temple at Ahobilam was a part of the Ahobilam
Temples Visit, on 25th and 26th August 2025,
organized 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 in 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 Bharagava Narasimha
Some of the salient features of this temple are…
The
temple faces north. The Akshaya Theertham tank is on the left side, before the
start of the steps. A stucco image of Bhargava Narasimhar is on the top of the
mukha mandapam. Dwarapalakas are at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum.
The
presiding deity, Barghava Narasimhar, about 3 feet high, is in a sitting posture
and Hiranyakashipu on his lap. Barghava Narasimhar is with four hands, holding
shankha and chakra in the upper hands, tearing the intestine /stomach of the
demon king with the lower hands. Hiranyakashipu is holding a sword in his right
hand. Maha Vishnu’s dasavatar miniature bas reliefs are on the prabai without
kithi mukha. Both prabai and the presiding deity are sculpted from a single
stone. Bhakta Prahalata’s bas relief is on the base in Anjali hastam.
The
image is crude-looking. But the presence of Dasavatara in the Prabhavali
without Kirtimukha is interesting as it reminds us of the more graceful and
artistic images of the 10th-11th century.
Utsava
murti is in front of the presiding deity.
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum and ardha mandapam/ mukha mandapam. The
sanctum sanctorum is on an adhistanam. The bhitti is plain without koshtas. From
adhitanam to prastaram, the temple was built with stone. The prastaram consists
of valapi and kapotam with nasi kudus. One tala vimanam with greevam and a
dravida sigaram is on the prastaram. No stucco images found on the tala and
greeva koshtas.
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 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.
An
inscription belonging to 1564 CE was set up by Sri Parankusa Srivansatagopa
Jiyyangaru, the presiding acharya of the Ahobila Math. This registers the grant
of a piece of land in Lingamdinne in Gandikotasima to the God Ahobalesvara for
specified offerings and their distribution during the garden festival
(Vana-mahotsava) near the tank constructed by him on the way to the Bhargava shrine
by Parankusa Van Satagopajiyyar, who received this piece of land from Narasaya, who in turn, is stated to have obtained the village Lingamadinne from Nandela
Timmaraju. The inscription also mentions that the approach road and steps to the Bhargava shrine were constructed by Parankusayiyar
At
a cost of Rs. Fifty-six thousand the Bhargava Temple and the steps leading to
the temple were renovated by Sri N.D. Bangur, Calcutta.
Ref:
1. The
temple’s website
2. 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. Both brothers
were dwarapalakas to Maha Vishnu in their previous birth. 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 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 Hiranyakashipu, 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.
The Garuda wishes to have darshan of Maha Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar. So he did a penance of Maha
Vishnu. Satisfied with Garuda’s penance, Maha Vishnu gave him the Narasimha
avatar and stayed at nine places with different forms to bless devotees.
Parasurama (Bhargava
Rama in his previous birth) did a penance on Narasimha Swamy on the banks of
Akshaya Theertham to get rid of all his sins. Narasimha Swamy appeared before
Parasurama and purified his sins that he had accumulated due to Kshetriya
Samhara. Hence Narasimhar is called Barghava Narasimha Swamy.
It
is believed that Lord Parasurama, who is an incarnation of Sri Maha Vishnu, worshipped at the temple on the banks of Akshaya Teertha and prayed that
Narasimha manifest Himself here in the form in which he had to kill the demon
king Hiranyakashipu. Since Parasurama requested the darshan of Narasimha, Maha
Vishnu gave darshan in the form of Barghava Narasimha.
All
the Nine Narshimha are associated with the nine planets. This Bhargava Narasimha is
associated with the planet Surya.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Narasimhar Jayanthi day.
TEMPLE
TIMINGS
The
temple will be kept open from 9:00 hrs
to 16:00 hrs.
CONTACT
DETAILS
Ahobilam
Math website
Sevas and Bookings /
Enquiry -+91 9440120878
Mr.
Narendra Kumar can be contacted on his mobile number, 9642844839, for Local Guide, Poojas, Darshan, Stay, Food, and Jeep Services for the two temples.
HOW
TO REACH
The travel /trek to
the Barghava Narasimha Temple is an arduous one, and can be reached either by
Jeep or with your own vehicle. The temple is situated in the dense Nallamala forests
and is about 4 km from the forest check post on the Allagadda – Ahobilam main road.
This temple is about
4 km from Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, 27 km from Allagada, 64 km from
Nandyal Railway Station, and 104 km from Tadipatri.
The nearest Railway Station
is Nandyal Railway Station.
LOCATION
OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
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OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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