"Varahakunde
medinye Varahaartha Pradaayine Dantha Lagna Hiranyaaksha Damshtra Simhaaya
Mangalam"
The visit
to this Kroda Narasimha Temple (Kroda – Varaha) 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
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 Kroda Narasimha, Varaha Narasimha Swamy
Thayar : Sri Maha Lakshmi, Sri Bhumadevi
Some of the salient features of this temple are…
The
sanctum sanctorum is in the form of a cave, and the moolavar faces north with an
opening on the east. A stucco image of Varaha Narasimhar with the Jeer of the
Ahobila math is on the top of the mukha mandapam.
In
this cave shrine, there are two images, one of Lakshmi-Narasimha and another
Sthanaka image of Varaha Narasimha with his consort, goddess Bhudevi. Utsavar
is in front of the moolavar. The goddess is shown as embracing the ‘snout’
portion of the lord, just as she did while being raised by him up from the
ocean waters after piercing Hiranyaksha with his tusks and then slaying him.
Varaha stands in a tribhangi posture with only two hands, the head of the boar
and the tail of the lion on a human torso. The image is bereft of any
ornamentation. Stylistically, the image may be placed in the period about the 9th-10th
centuries. CE.
Thayar
Maha Lakshmi is on the right side of Kroda Narasimhar, inside a cave.
A
small cave with the Ramanujar idol is about 25 meters from this temple. It is
believed that Ramanujar did penance in this cave.
Ramanujar in the cave
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of a cave, which serves as the sanctum sanctorum, and a built-up mukha
mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is in the form of a cave. The mukha mandapam
was built abutting the cave with beautiful stone pillars during the Vijayanagara
period. The front face of a mandapa is of the hara style with a stucco image of
Varaha Narasimhar.
Seems to be an image of a foreigner (bas-relief on a pillar)
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..
Ref:
1. The
temple’s website
2. A book on AHOBILAM
SRI NARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE, Prof. R. VASANTHA, published by TTD, Tirupati.
LEGENDS
Hiranyakashipu
and his brother Hiranyaksha are brothers and are Dwarapalakas of Maha
Vishnu in the previous birth. The goddess is shown as embracing the ‘snout’
portion of the lord, just as she did while being raised by him up from the
ocean waters after piercing Hiranyaksha with his tusks and then slaying him.
Varaha stands in a tribhangi posture with only two hands, the head of the boar
and the tail of the lion on a human torso.
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.
The Nallamala hills
are personified as Adisesha with his head at Tirumala, middle at Ahobilam, and
the tail at Srisailam.
The
presiding deity, Kroda Narsimhar, was worshipped by Siddhars; hence, this place is
called Siddha Kshetra. It is believed that to attain success in one’s chosen
path, one should do penance on Kroda Narasimhar for 5 days at this place.
All
the Nine Narshimha are associated with the nine planets. This Kroda Narasimha is
associated with the planet Rahu. Special poojas are conducted on Rahu & Ketu
peyarchi days.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular Poojas, special Poojas are conducted on Narsimhar Jayanthi day,
Rahu and Ketu peyarchi days, 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 two temples.
HOW
TO REACH
The vehicles will
stop at Equva Ahobilam Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple. From there, this temple
can be reached through trekking. This cave temple is on the way to Jwala
Narasimha Temple or from Malola Narasimha Temple.
This temple is about
24 km from Diguva Prahalada Vardhar Temple, aka Equva Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy
Temple, 51 km from Allagada, 88 km from Nandyal Railway Station, and 128 km
from Tadipatri.
The nearest Railway Station
is Nandyal Railway Station.
LOCATION
OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
The bridge is the starting point of Trekking
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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