01The embracing stone
The temple’s katha says that Narasimha’s fury did not leave him after Hiranyakashipu’s death, and he wandered into the Velikonda hills. A Chenchu girl, Lakshmi herself born among the forest people, calmed him, and they were married. The deity here is a natural rock in which devotees see the Lord holding his bride, and the place is named Penusila, the embracing stone, which became Penchalakona. The Chenchu tribes of the hills keep a special place in the festivals, as Narasimha’s in-laws.
02The stream and the festival
The Kandaleru stream runs through the gorge below the temple in a series of pools, and pilgrims bathe in it before darshan, as the Lord did. Narasimha Jayanti in Vaishakha and the Brahmotsavam bring great crowds from Nellore, Kadapa and Tirupati, and the Shanivara (Saturday) darshan is popular all year. The temple is managed by the Andhra Pradesh endowments department.
About 80 km west of Nellore via Rapur. The pools are slippery in the rains.
