Ahobilam (The place of Narasimha Deities)

Ahobilam is a pilgrimage center of great antiquity. It is a hilly, forested region where the almighty god,Mahä-vishnu has taken the form of Narasimha. Significantly, every plant, tree and stone found is pregnant with the presence of Narasimha, the lion-god. As such, this place is considered the most venerated Vaisnava shrines of Andhra Pradesa, enshrining nine iconological forms of Narasimha.There are reference to this place in Brahmanda Purana,Bhavisyottara Purana and Padma Purana. According to it, it is where Lord Garuda did penance. It is where the Vedas were protected from the hands of Raksasasand it is believed as sacred as Gayä and Käshi. It is also mentioned in Srimad Bhagavata and Sri Vadiraja’s‘Tirtha Prabandha’. It is famed to be a place where four faced Sri Brahma visits and worships God everyday and Markandeya did penance. It is also known to be a place where Lord Rama had come during his exile and wrote Narasimha Stavana.Forming part of the Central Eastern Ghats, it has two storeyed hilly region. The lower one is called ChinnaAhobilam and the upper as Pedda Ahobilam. In the area of 30 kms one will find one form of Narasimha or other. In total, there are nine forms of Narasimha having different names. They are Jwala, Ahobila, Malola, Kroda, Karanja, Bhargava, Yogananda, Chatravata and Pavana. Lower Ahobilam is easily approachable. The God there is Prahlada Varada Narasimha, the aspect of Lord Narasimha as blessing Prahlada. A lofty gopuram and amassive Jaya-stambha greet you at the beginning. The east facing Maha-dvara is quite big and bright. Inside the Sanctum-Sanctorum, we witness the smiling countenance of the Deity. He has bright and bewitching eyes. He has four arms. Goddess Laksmi is seated on his left lap and is embracing him with her right arm. It is really enchanting to see the Divya-MangalaVigraha of the divine couple here. In the upper-Ahobilam (a plateau of about 2800 ft above sea-level), we witness another form of Narasimha. However, the place is not easily approachable. We have to pass through a narrow valley and thick forest and climb up 65 steps. This leads us to the shrine of Ugra-Narasimha who is a Svayambhu-murti (self-manifest Deity). He is seen in acave temple, which is magnificent with a mantapa(canopy) and a Gopura. He has ten arms. He is seen here in the act of tearing the stomach of Hiranyakasipu. Here Prahlada is in the act of praying.His other consort Chenchulaksmi said to be a tribal here. The other forms of Narasimha (Kroda, Malola, Jvala,Pavana) are spread over a wide area. They are not easily approachable. There are also a number of holytirthas around, the most important is Rakta-kunda,whose water is reddish. According to one writer – “If you wish to experience perfect tranquility of mind, go to Ahobilam. If you wish to realize what a spiritual environment is, if you wish to behold and enjoy a bewitching natural scenery with its vast forests rich in green foliage and the Bhavanashini river gliding on, go there. The whole region is pregnant as it were with the presence of Lord Narasimha”.