Sri Varaha Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam
Are you on a pilgrimage to Visakhapatnam and looking for the detailed information on Simhachalam Narasimha Swamy Temple. You can find it here in this article.
Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is located in Simhachalam - a place nearly 16 Km away from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. This is one of the famous and important Vaishnavite temples where the presiding deity is Lord Narasimha which is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu who took the form of a lion-man as a result of Bhakta Prahlad's prayer. It is located on a small hill and is easily approachable / accessible by public / private transport, cabs from Visakhapatnam and Devasthanam buses. Pilgrims can even reach the temple by climbing the steep steps made of natural stones. There is even a trekking route to reach the temple from the Madhavadhara in Visakhapatnam. History of the temple history
The temple architecture is perfect blend of Orissan and Chalukyan features which looks splendid. The original shrine in the temple was renovated in the 11th century C.E (Common Era) by Vengi Chalukyas of Andhra Pradesh. Later in the 13 century Narasimha I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty renovated much of the present structure. From the inscriptions that are seen here, it is evident that the monarch of Vijayanagara Kingdom Sri Krishna Deva Raya visited the temple in the early 16th century C.E. About the temple
The hill on which the temple of Sri Varaha Narasimha Swamy is situated is at a height of nearly 800 feet above the mean sea level. The main deity in the temple is unique in its own way. The deity is fully covered with several coats of sandalwood paste (chandan) and so the original deity is not to be seen. Devotees cannot be see the original form of the deity throughout the year except on a special day called the Chandanotsavam Day which falls on the Akshaya Tritiya / Akha Teej Day i.e the 3rd day after Amavasya (no moon day) in the Hindu month of Vaisakha.
On this day the temple is heavily crowded with devotees from the neighboring towns / states, to see the original form of the deity. Few days prior to Chandanotsavam day all the coats of sandalwood paste is removed from the deity and devotees are allowed to see the original form of the main deity only on this special day. This is known as nijaroopa darsanam. The dried coats of sandalwood paste that are removed from the main deity is sold to the devotees. On this day the temple remains open for the devotees till late night. The temple is closed at mid night and again fresh coats of sandalwood paste are smeared on the deity. To reach the temple
Simhachalam is close to Visakhapatnam and is can easily reachable. There are frequent buses run the APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) and by the temple Devasthanams. These buses ply from various parts of Visakhapatnam. There is railway station in Simhachalam but only few trains stop in the station. You can reach the temple by cabs from Visakhapatnam. Besides Simhachalam temple, Kailasagiri - the hill top park and Kambaalakonda - the eco tourism park are the popular attractions of Visakhapatnam.
Follow
Kalyani madam, there is another place in Mangalagiri near vijayawada also. Really good posting. Another interesting thing is: recently in South Germany the scientists were amazed to see an idol from the tusk of a mammoth in the form of a human body with lion head which was estimated to be 32000 years old. Since they were not aware about the puranas of our own country, it is a surprise to them.
More information can be learned through the website:
http://www.indiadivine.org/32000-year-old-narasimha-lion-man-statue-found-germany/