"Bharadwaja
Mahayogi Mahapaathaka Haarine Thapaneeya Rahasyaartha Pavanayaasthu
Mangalam".
The visit
to this Pavana 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 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 Pavana Narasimha
Thayar : Sri Chenchu Lakshmi
Some of the salient features of this temple are…
The
temple faces west. Two Garudan images and a Garuda sthamabam are in front of the
temple. A metacolour sheet mandapam is provided in front of the temple. Dwarapalakas
are in the form of bas-reliefs on the door jambs.
In
the shrine, just by the side of the main image, Pavana Narasimha, there are
idols of Gopalakrishna, Navanithakrishna,
Varadaraja, Anjaneya, another Pamuleti Narasimha, and Salagrama Narasimha.
The
main image is actually a Lakshmi Narasimha idol, with four hands. The upper two
hands carry the Shankha and the Chakra. The lower right hand is in abhaya posture,
while the lower left hand is shown as embracing Lakshmi / Chenchu
Lakshmi, seated on his left thigh. The Narasimhar is seated in the sukhasana
posture on Adisesha, with his left leg folded, while the right leg is bent at
the knee. Dangling down over the head of Narasimha is found a seven-hooded
snake (Adisesha) spread like an umbrella. Chenchu Lakshmi is shown seated on
the thigh of the Lord with her right hand embracing Narasimha. But the left hand is broken.
This
form of image has sanction from the Vishnudharmottara, and stylistically this
image belongs to the period of the 6th-7th century CE.
Goddess
Chenchu Lakshmi is in a unique posture-on one side facing the devotees and on the other side facing towards Narasimhar. (It is believed that the Goddess receives our
prayers and informs the same to Pavana Narasimha).
Two
similar idols are installed one above the other. The upper one was installed
in recent years.
ARCHITECTURE
The
temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum and ardha mandapam/ mukha mandapam. The
sanctum sanctorum is on an adhistanam with a Padma pedestal. 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. Two tala vimanam
with greevam and a dravida sigaram are on the prastaram. No stucco images found
on the tala and greeva koshtas. A metacolour sheet mandapam is provided around
the temple.
Pranala with adhistanam
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..
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. 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.
Sage Bhardwaja did a
penance on Pavana Narsimha Swamy to get relieved from the sin. Narasimha Swamy appeared before him along with
Mahalakshmi. Therefore, the moolavar is called “Holy Srisimha Swami.”
It is believed that
the devotees offered prayers to Pavana Narasimha as their Brother-in-law,
considering Chenchu Lakshmi as their sister.
All
the Nine Narshimha are associated with the nine planets. This Pavana Narasimha is
associated with the planet Budha.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Narsimhar Jayanti day. Dhal
mixed Rice naivedyam is offered to the Presiding deity.
The
Chenchu tribes sacrifice Goats, hens, etc, in front of the temple, and cooked meat
is offered to the goddess near the Garuda sthambam. Steps were taken to stop
this animal sacrifice by the Government, but it couldn’t do so. Blood stains are
found on the ground in front of the temple.
TEMPLE
TIMINGS
Asper Mutt website, Pavana Narasimha Temple remains
open for 24 hours. It is said that the priest changes once every 15 days.
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 Pavana Narasimha Temple is an arduous one, and can be reached through a Jeep or
with your own vehicle. The temple is situated in the dense Nallamala forests and is
about 15 km from the forest check post on the Allagadda – Ahobilam main road. The temple is 7 km
away from the Upper Ahobilam temple.
This temple is about 20
km from Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, 43 km from Allagada, 80 km from
Nandyal Railway Station, and 120 km from Tadipatri.
The nearest Railway Station
is Nandyal Railway Station.
Shiva's sannidhi
Garudan
Blood stains
