"HaHa HuHaakhya
Gandharva Nruthya Geetha Hruthaathmane Bhava Hanthru Hara Thata Chatravata
Simhaaya Mangalam"
The visit
to this Chatravata 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
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 Chatravata Narasimha
Some of the salient features of this temple are…
The
temple faces east. The temple is small and is under the shade of an umbrella-like
banian tree. Hence, the deity here is called Chatravata Narasimha. Dwarapalas
(small) are on both sides of the sanctum sanctorum.
The
deity carved in black basaltic stone is seated in the padmasana posture on a
low padmapeedam. The two upper hands hold the Chakra and Shankha. The lower right
hand is in the abhaya hastam, and the lower left hand is playing a thalam (தாளம்).
The image is adorned with Kirita makuta, graiveyaka, Keyura, Yanjnopavita, and
a drapery. The ornamentation, workmanship, depiction of Shankha and Chakra, the
way of showing the four hands, drapery, and the style of delineation suggest
that, stylistically, the image belongs to the early Vyayanagara period.
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, the ardha mandapam, and the open mukha
mandapam. A stucco image of the presiding deity is on the top of the 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 brick
vimanam with greevam and a dravida sigaram are on the prastaram. Stucco images
of Narsimhar are on the greeva koshtas.
The
ardha mandapa has six pillars, which consist of a simple rectangular lower
part from which rises an octagonal and square shaft and a plain capital. This is typical of the 12th-century CE pillars in temples in all parts of South India. Bas-relief sculptures of Narasimha, Anjaneya, etc, are found on these pillars.
The
open mukha mandapa was built in recent years with cement and concrete.
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.
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.
The total temple was
reconstructed in recent years. The sanctum sanctorum stones and mandapa pillars
are maintained, and the mukha mandapam was completely replaced with concrete
pillars.
Ref:
1. The
temple’s website
2. A book on AHOBILAM
SRI NARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE, Prof. R. VASANTHA, published by TTD, Tirupati.
Donor (may be the Vijayanagara King)
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.
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.
As
per legend, two Gandharvas (celestial musicians) named Haahaa and Huhu from the Meru Mountains appeased Narasimha with their divine music. The Narasimha
blessed them and fulfilled all their desires. Since then, devotees with skills
in music have rendered performances before the deity here and seek the divine
blessings of the Chatravata Narasimha to excel in the field of Music.
All
the Nine Narshimha temples are associated with the nine planets. This Chatravata Narasimha
is associated with the planet Chandra.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Narasimhar Jayanthi day,
etc.
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
This temple is about
2.7 km from Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, 29 km from Allagada, 67 km from
Nandyal Railway Station, and 107 km from Tadipatri.
The nearest Railway Station
is Nandyal Railway Station.
LOCATION
OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
No comments:
Post a Comment