"Varijaa Varitha
Bhayai Vaanipathi Mukhaisurai Mahithaaya mahodaara malolaayaasthu
mangalam".
The visit
to this Malola Narasimha Temple (Malola – beloved to Maha Lakshmi) 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
shrine is on a level surface on the peak of the Vedadri Mountain. This place is
also called Markonda Lakshmi Kshetra.
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 Malola Narasimha
Thayar : Sri Mahalakshmi
Some of the salient features of this temple are…
The
temple faces south, and a stucco image of Lakshmi Narashimhar is on the top of the
entrance to the mukha mandapam. Dwarapalakas are at the entrance of the ardha
mandapam.
The presiding deity Malola Narasimha is in a sitting posture with 4
hands and in a sitting posture with his left leg is folded, and his right leg is
hanging. Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi is seated on the folded left lap of Malola
Narasimha. He is in a Shantha Murthy posture. A semi-circular Prabhavali and a
raised Kirtimukha are behind the Malola Narasimha murti. The style of holding
sankha and chakra suggests that the image may belong to the 12th-13th century CE.
A
similar Narasimha is also in the sanctum. Narsimha is with 4 hands, holding
shankha and chakra in the upper hands, and lower hands are in abhaya varada
hastam. This has been installed in recent years.
Believed to be the original now in...
A
pada with a Lion, Bairavar, the donor's Husband & wife, and an unidentified statue
are worshiped in front of the temple.
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of the Sanctum sanctorum, the ardha mandapam, and an open mukha
mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhistanam with jagathy,
threepatta kumudam, and pattikai. The temple was constructed with stone from
adhistanam to prastaram. The bhitti is plain without koshtas. The prastaram
consists of valapi and kapotam without nasi kudus. A two-tala vimanam, with a
vesara sigaram, is on the sanctum sanctorum.
The
total temple was reconstructed in recent years. The open mukha mandapa was
built with cement concrete. The sad part of the renovation/reconstruction was
that the old mandapa pillars, pothyals, and the damaged Moolavar Sri Lakshmi
Narasimhar (probably the original) were dumped on the north side of the temple.
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.
Donors
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 the 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, 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.
According to legend,
Goddess Maha Lakshmi was angry with Narasimha Swamy as he had married Chenchu
Lakshmi. So, Bhagavan Narasimha pleased Goddess Mahalakshmi on the hills of
Vedadri. Sri Malola Narasimha Swamy is the Aradhya Daiva of Sri Ahobila Matha.
Ahobila Narasimha
Swamy blessed the First Jeer of Sri Ahobila Matha, Sri Adivan Satagopa
Yatheendra Mahadesikan, with sanyasa and appeared as Archa Moorthi in his
hands. Narasimha Swamy ordered the first Jeer to take his Malola Narasimha
Archa Moorthy to every village and instill/spread Sri Vaishnavism to the
people.
All
the Nine Narshimha are associated nine planets. This Malola Narasimha is
associated with the planet Ketu. Devotees
pray to Malola Narasimha to prosper in family life.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Narasimhar Jayanthi 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 / Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple; from there, about 2 km has to be trekked/walked to reach this temple. Can be reached from Sri
Varaha Narasimha Swamy Temple and from Jawala Narasimhar Temple after crossing
the bridge also.
The temple is about
51 km from Allagada, 82 km from Nandyal Railway Station, and 128 km from
Tadipatri.
The nearest Railway Station
is Nandyal Railway Station.
LOCATION
OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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