Simhachalam

Simhachalam, also known as Simhadri, is a beautiful Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha. It is believed that the hill top is a holy adobe of Varaha Narasimha Swami. The name of the temple is derived from the word Narasimha, nara meaning male and simha meaning lion, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

The presiding deity of the temple is Varaha Lakshminarasimha, which is a combination of the features of Varaha and Narasimha. The idol resembles Shivalingam that is enshrined within the temple. This Shivalingam is covered with sandal paste throughout the year. During the occasion of Chandana Visarjana, the sandal paste on the Shivalingam is removed and the image is seen by pilgrims and devotees. Besides idols, the temple also houses beautiful stone chariot, which is drawn by horses.

The temple was constructed in 1098 by Kuloththunga, the famous Chola king. Further, the Queen of ancient Orissa covered the image with gold during 1137-56 and Narasimha Deva, the eastern Ganga King of Orissa, constructed central shrine in 1267. Apart from this, the shrine was visited twice by Sri Krishna Deva Raya in 1516 and 1519 after defeating Gajapati Prataparudra Dev, the Gajapati ruler of Orissa.

In addition to this, the temple activities are managed by Pusapati Gajapathi since the last three centuries. The artwork of the shrine is similar to that of the Konark Temple at Gujarat. The walls and boundaries of the temple are decorated with elephants, flowers and plants. The exteriors of the temple are adorned with various images of King Narasimha in various postures.

The sanctum of the temple has Kalyana Mandapam, which is supported by 16 pillars that are located within the temple. Each pillar is beautifully adorned with images of various incarnations of Lord Vishnu.