Ahobilam Temple - A heaven in earth

Location: Ahobilam near Nandyal(Andhra Pradesh) (Vada Naadu)
Vishnu: Narasimha (Prahladavaradan),
Taayaar:
Amritavalli
Theertham:Indra Theertham, Narasimha Theertham
Paasuram :Tirumangaialwar
Vimaanam:Guhai Vimanam
Travel Base:Cuddappah


Ahobilam is one of the most venerated Vaishnava temples enshrining Narasimha. It is located near Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh. It is accessed from Cuddappah on the Chennai Mumbai railroad. Forty miles from Cuddapah is Allagedda, and there are bus routes to Ahobalam from Allagedda. Other possible routes, are Nandyal-Allagadda-Ahobalam and Dhone-Banganapalli-Koilakuntla-Ahobalam. It is referred to as the Nava Narasimha Kshetram, and is the seat of the Ahobila Mutt.

Singavelkunram, praised in Tirumangai Alwar's decad of 10 verses in Tamil, is the Ahobila Divya Desam, enshrining as many as nine images of Narasimha - and is one of the two Divya Desams in Andhra Pradesh. The Puranas state thet the Nallamalai hills from Kurnool to Chittoor district are a personification of Adiseshan


Ahobilam or Ahobalam is a major center of pilgrimage in south India. According to the legend, this is where Lord Narasimha blessed Prahlada and killed the demon Hiranyakashipa. It is an important place of worship for Vaishnavas. It is one of the 108 Divya desam.

Ahobilam is located in the Nandyal Taluka of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at a distance of 40 km from Nandyal, and is conveniently accessibly by bus from Nandyal, Kurnool and Hyderabad. Ahobilam is not connected by rail; the closest railway stations are Nandyal (on the Bangalore-Vizag(Vishakapatnam) route) and Cuddapah (on the Mumbai-Chennai route).

There are nine temples around the Nellimala Forest range. Few temples can be reached through trekking. Some temples are inside the cave. Some temples are very difficult to trek. However, this is disputed by other historical data, which indicates that Multan in Pakistan was formerly Mulastan, which used to have a large Narasimha worshipping Vaishnava community. The temples were later destroyed by Islamic invaders, and the residents killed or forcibly converted to Islam. The holy shrines of Ahobilam (all the Nava are Nine Nrusimhars) are eulogized by Thirumangai Mannan. Hence Ahobilam is one of the 106 Divya Desams. The hereditary powers of the temple rest with the Pontiff HH Azhagiyasingar of Ahobila Mutt. Currently the 45th Jeer of this lineage is the reigning Pontiff . The Azhagiyasingars have the unique privilege of being Aradhakars to a Divya Desam (a distinction no other Pontiff enjoys). Occasionally when HH Jeer performs Mangalasasanam (pays respects at the temple) at Ahobilam, the Serthi Utsavam is performed (the Moolavar of Malola Nrusimhar and the Utsavar) are united. This place was visited by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and it is located in remote place far away from main roads. The Nellimala hills are personified as Adisesha with his head at Tirumala, middle at Ahobilam and the tail at Srisailam.

According to legend it is believed that when the Devas saw the manifestation of Lord Vishnu as half lion half man they shouted "Ahobala" (great strength) as well as "Ahobila" (great cave in which the current sanctum is). Hence this place could be called "Ahobalam" or "Ahobilam". Another Legend talks about that Lord Garuda did penance to see Lord Vishnu in Lord Narasimha form. Hence, Lord Narasimha took nine different forms in this hill. Lord Narasimha in nine forms are

According to legend it is believed that when the Devas saw the manifestation of Lord Vishnu as half lion half man they shouted "Ahobala" (great strength) as well as "Ahobila" (great cave in which the current sanctum is). Hence this place could be called "Ahobalam" or "Ahobilam". Another Legend talks about that Lord Garuda did penance to see Lord Vishnu in Lord Narasimha form. Hence, Lord Narasimha took nine different forms in this hill. Lord Narasimha in nine forms are

According to legend it is believed that when the Devas saw the manifestation of Lord Vishnu as half lion half man they shouted "Ahobala" (great strength) as well as "Ahobila" (great cave in which the current sanctum is). Hence this place could be called "Ahobalam" or "Ahobilam". Another Legend talks about that Lord Garuda did penance to see Lord Vishnu in Lord Narasimha form. Hence, Lord Narasimha took nine different forms in this hill. Lord Narasimha in nine forms are

According to legend it is believed that when the Devas saw the manifestation of Lord Vishnu as half lion half man they shouted "Ahobala" (great strength) as well as "Ahobila" (great cave in which the current sanctum is). Hence this place could be called "Ahobalam" or "Ahobilam". Another Legend talks about that Lord Garuda did penance to see Lord Vishnu in Lord Narasimha form. Hence, Lord Narasimha took nine different forms in this hill. Lord Narasimha in nine forms are

According to legend it is believed that when the Devas saw the manifestation of Lord Vishnu as half lion half man they shouted "Ahobala" (great strength) as well as "Ahobila" (great cave in which the current sanctum is). Hence this place could be called "Ahobalam" or "Ahobilam". Another Legend talks about that Lord Garuda did penance to see Lord Vishnu in Lord Narasimha form. Hence, Lord Narasimha took nine different forms in this hill. Lord Narasimha in nine forms are

According to legend it is believed that when the Devas saw the manifestation of Lord Vishnu as half lion half man they shouted "Ahobala" (great strength) as well as "Ahobila" (great cave in which the current sanctum is). Hence this place could be called "Ahobalam" or "Ahobilam". Another Legend talks about that Lord Garuda did penance to see Lord Vishnu in Lord Narasimha form. Hence, Lord Narasimha took nine different forms in this hill. Lord Narasimha in nine forms are



1. Varaha Narasimhar
2. Malola Narasimhar
3. Yogananda Narasimhar
4. Pavana Narasimhar
5. Karaancha Narasimhar
6. Chakra Vada Narasimhar
7. Bhargava Narasimhar
8. Jwala Narasimhar
9. Ahobila Narasimhar

Temples which is present in cave does not have any specific prasadam. Pilgrims offer some fruits for the Lord inside the cave. The temple which is accessible has the Vaishanava traditional prasadams. The local tribes used to offer their traditional offerings to Lord Narasimha. Narasimha Jayanthi will be celebrated with pomp and glory. The annual festival is during the Tamil month of Maasi. The local tribals celebrate the marriage of Goddess Mahalakshmi as ChenchuLakshmi and Lord Narasimha.


Deities:

This Nava Narasimha Kshetram enshrines Ahobila Narasimhan, Varaha Narasimhan, Malola Narasimhan, Yogananda Narasimhan, Bhavana Narasimhan, Kaarancha Narasimhan, Chakra Vada Narasimhan, Bhargava Narasimhan and Jwala Narasimhan. In the temple at the foothills, the Moolavar Prahladavaradan in a seated posture facing east; there are festival images of 8 of the Narasimhas, other than malola Narasimha. The festival image of Malola Narasimha is located in the Ahobila Mutt. The Moolavar in the Ahobila Mutt is Lakshmi Narasimha, while the utsavar is Rama.

Upper Ahobalam is 2800 feet above sea level.It is an arduous trek to upper Ahobilam from the foothills. The Lakshmi Narasimhar temple at the lower level, has mandapams, with remnants of fine sculpture from the Vijayanagar period. Upper Ahobilam enshrines Ahobila Narasimhan and Ugra Narasimhan. The moolavar images were the only shrines of worship during the period of the Chalukyan king Vikramaketu, while it was during the period of Prataparudra that festival images were made. Krishna Devarayar is known to have made endowments here.

The two crests of the hill are caled Vedadri and Garudadri, through which the Bhavanasini Thirtham flows. There is a pillar near the Ugra Narasimhar and the Guha Narasimhar shrine; said to be the pillar, facing which the demon Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada to demonstrate the omnipresence of Vishnu.

Legend has it that Rama, separated from Sita worshipped Lakshmi Narasimhar here. Legend has it that Garuda, desirous of seeing the Narasimha form of Vishnu worshipped him here, and that Vishnu manifested himself as nine forms of Narasimha. Mahalakshmi is believed to have reincarnated into a family of hunters as Senjulakshmi, and married Narasimhar here. This event is commemorated in the annual festival in the tamil month of Maasi, when the local tribe actively participates in the festivities.



Travel & Stay:

Ahobilam is located at 15.1333° N 78.7167° E.[1] It has an average elevation of 327 meters (1076 feet).


There are three routes reaching Ahobilam.
1. Pilgrims from the north can get down at Nandyal, which is a Railway junction from Kurnool, and travel by bus to Allagadda and Ahobalam, which is only thirty miles from Nandyal.

2. The second route is from Dhone which is another railway station and from which one can reach Ahobilam via Banganapalli and Koilakuntla.

3. The other and easy route is to get down at Cuddapah which is a district headquarters and an important railway station in the Madras - Bombay route. From Cuddapah one has to travel to Allagadda, which is forty miles over and from there by bus to Ahobilam