"Goboo
Hiranyanirvinna Gobila Gnanadaayine Prabhanjana Shunaaseera Karanjaayasthu
Mangalam"
The visit
to this Karanja Narasimha Temple (Narasimhar gave darshan to Anjaneyar under a Karanja
tree – Punga maram – புங்க
மரம்), hence called Karanja Narasimhaswamy. 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 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
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 Karanja Narasimha, Sri Sarnga Narasimha
Some of the salient features of this temple are…
The
temple faces north with an entrance arch, about 25 meters in front of the
entrance to the temple. Old Vijayanagara period half pillars are installed after
the entrance arch. A stucco image of Sri Karanja Narasimhar is on the entrance
arch and on the top of the mukha mandapam. Garudan is in front of the temple.
Dwarapalakas' bas reliefs are on the entrance frame.
In the sanctum sanctorum, Karanja Narasimhar appears to be seated in meditation, with
a hooded cobra over the head. The upper right hand holds a Chakra, and the upper
left hand has Sarnga or a bow. The lower hands are in Dhyana mudra. Stylistically, the image may be placed in the period about the 10th-11th centuries CE.
An
Anjaneyar sannidhi is in front of the sanctum sanctorum, facing west. Anjaneyar
is in Anjali hastam.
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple was reconstructed and looks new. Period-old temple’s
old half pillars are installed in front of the temple. The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, and open mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is
on an adhistanam. From adhistanam to prastaram, the temple was built with
stone. The bhitti is plain without koshtas. The prastaram consists of valapi
and kapotam with nasi kudus. One tala brick vimanam, with a dravida sigaram, is
on the prastaram.
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', 'Nagari', etc.
The original temple
belongs to the Vijayanagara period with the sanctum sanctorum, ardha mandapam, and mukha
mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum was reconstructed with stone, and the
mukha mandapa was built with cement concrete during the reconstruction. The Anjaneyar sannidhi was also
constructed in recent years.
Ref:
1. The
temple’s website
2. A book on AHOBILAM
SRI NARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE, Prof. R. VASANTHA, published by TTD, Tirupati.
Kinnarar
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 the 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, 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.
Gobila Maharshi,
Hanuman, and Bhaktha Kavi Srimaan Thallapaka Annamacharya, who composed the famous
sankeerthana "Phalanetranala Prabala vidyulatha keli vihara Lakshmi
Narasimha", worshipped Narasimha of this temple.
All
the Nine Narshimha are connected with the nine planets. This Karanja Narashimha is
connected to the planet Shukra. To get abundant knowledge, excel in studies, and pass exams, devotees worship Karanja Narasimha.
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 may be contacted on his mobile number 9642844839, for Local
Guide, Poojas, Darshan, Stay, Food, and Jeep for the Ahobilam temples.
HOW
TO REACH
The temple can be
reached by vehicle.
The temple is about 7
km from Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, 34 km from Allagada, 71km from
Nandyal Railway Station, and 111 km from Tadipatri.
The nearest Railway
Station is Nandyal Railway Station.
LOCATION
OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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