Photo: Wikipedia article "Simhachalam Temple" — CC-licensed via Wikimedia CommonsOpen NowSimhachalam Temple
Type
Hindu Temple
Deity
Lord Narasimha
Pincode
530028
An ancient hilltop temple dedicated to Varaha Narasimha, a combined boar-and-lion form of Lord Vishnu, on Simhachalam hill near Visakhapatnam. The deity is kept covered in sandalwood paste year-round and revealed in its true form only once a year, on Akshaya Tritiya, during the Chandanotsavam festival.
History & Significance
Significance
Simhachalam Temple near Visakhapatnam is one of the 18 important Vaishnavite shrines in India, dedicated to Varaha Narasimha — a unique combined form of the boar and man-lion avatars of Lord Vishnu. The idol is covered in sandalwood paste throughout the year — only on the day of Akshaya Tritiya is the paste removed to reveal the original form, which uniquely shows the combined Varaha-Narasimha form.
History
The temple's origins are ancient with inscriptions dating to the 11th century CE. The Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya and various Kalinga kings made major contributions. The Chalukya-Orissan style of architecture reflects the temple's connections to the ancient Kalinga region. Adi Shankaracharya is said to have visited and composed the Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotra here.
After Lord Vishnu appeared as Narasimha to slay the demon Hiranyakashipu and save his devotee Prahlada, the fearsome form of Narasimha continued to terrify all beings. Lord Brahma appealed to Vishnu to take a calmer form. Lord Vishnu merged his Varaha and Narasimha forms at this hill, creating the unique Varaha Narasimha form. The sandalwood paste that perpetually covers the idol is to cool the fierce heat emanating from the man-lion form.
Architecture
The temple is built in the Chalukya-Orissan architectural style on the Simhachalam Hill, 244 metres above sea level. The main gopuram is ornately carved. The idol of Varaha Narasimha is entirely covered in sandalwood paste (chandanam) throughout the year — the only day the original form is visible is on Akshaya Tritiya, when the paste is ceremonially removed (Chandanotsava). The exposed form is said to be so fierce that priests avert their eyes.
Nearby Temples
Closest temples by distance — worth combining into the same trip.