हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Ahobilam (Nava Narasimha Kshetra)

The Nallamala forest where, by the tradition of the place, Bhagwan Narasimha burst from the pillar and killed Hiranyakashipu. Nine Narasimha shrines are scattered over the hills.

Built: Shrines of great antiquity; temples enlarged under the Kakatiyas and Vijayanagara; Ahobila Matha founded 1398Where: Andhra PradeshDeity: Bhagwan Narasimha in nine forms15.13° N, 78.73° E
  1. 1398
  2. 16th century
Photo: Gopal Venkatesan · CC BY 2.0

01‘Aho balam’

The local katha says that when the devas saw Narasimha tear Hiranyakashipu apart they cried ‘aho balam’, what strength, and the place took the name. A split rock high on the hill, the Ugra Stambham, is shown as the pillar from which he came. Garuda did tapas here to see that form, and the hill is called Garudadri. The nine shrines, the Nava Narasimhas, include Jwala Narasimha, at the spot of the slaying, Yogananda, Pavana and Prahlada Varada at Lower Ahobilam. Visiting all nine means two days of walking and jeep tracks through the forest.

02The matha of the jeeyars

In 1398 Adivan Satakopa Jeeyar, a Srivaishnava acharya, founded the Ahobila Matha here, and its jeeyars have looked after the shrines ever since. The kings of Vijayanagara gave land and built the mandapas of Lower Ahobilam, whose carved pillars match the Vijayanagara style of Hampi. Annamacharya sang of Ahobila Narasimha among his kirtanas. The matha later moved its headquarters, but every jeeyar is still installed in the name of Ahobilam’s Malola Narasimha, whose murti travels with him.

The life of this place

  1. 1398Adivan Satakopa Jeeyar founds the Ahobila Matha.
  2. 16th centuryVijayanagara kings build the mandapas of Lower Ahobilam.
Visiting

Near Allagadda in Nandyal district. Upper Ahobilam and the forest shrines need good footwear; go outside the monsoon.

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