Ahobilam - Pavana Narasimha Swamy and Chenchulakshmi

The Pavana Narasimha shrine is about 6 kms from the Ahobilam Shrine and is reached by trek through thick forest. See the pictures. I suggest you take a guide along as there are several paths along the way that branch out from the main path and if by chance you take the wrong one you'll find yourself in the midst of the jungle. Also travel in small groups so that you can ward off animals, though I nor anyone I know had any encounters with wild animals, its better to take precautions.

After picking up our bamboo canes we started the trek at 7:15 am, the initial steps are steep and you'll notice a lot of feathers strewn around and blood stains, the remains of sacrifices. After a pleasant trek we reached the shrine at 10:15 am that's about three hours and we were walking barefoot, those with footwear made it in two hours. One person in the group made it in 1 1/2 hours! He was carrying packed breakfast for all of us.

Narasimha is on the banks of the river Pavana and hence the name. He is with his consort Chenchulakshmi with Lord Bharadwaj at his feet. We had a fantastic dharshan. One very informed couple in the group handed over a box of tea bags, milk powder and sugar to the Archakar. I wondered if this was a ritual and was told that the Archakar had Agricultural lands in Lower Ahobilam which could provide him sustainance however he wanted to continue the tradition in the shrine and so now resides near the Pavana Narasimha shrine. His dwelling is small without Electricity and he comes to lower Ahobilam once a week to buy groceries. People who know him carry food or other items for him. I suggest that you do the same when you visit the shrine so that he can sustain his modest living and continue the tradition.

The Chenchulakshmi shrine is about one km from the Pavana Narasimha Shrine. Some of us didn't visit this shrine since the sun was up and we wanted to reach Lower Ahobilam. A few who did told us that you'll have to crawl to see the diety and there are remains of animal sacrificies, but nothing so gruesome to scare you.

We started the return trek at 11 am and reached the Ahobilam temple by 1:30 pm. Yes we were the last and there were others who reached much earlier, remember we were walking barefoot.

We reached the Ahobilam mutt by 2pm, had lunch and some rest and left for the next shrine - The Bhargava Narasimha Temple.