The Kroda (Varaha) Narasimha swamy shrine is the first shrine we saw after a trek of about a kilometre over rocks and rivulets. Here Lord Narasimha is in the form of a Boar with his consort Lakshmi.Friday, 1 February 2008
Ahobilam - Kroda (Varaha) Narasimha Swamy
The Kroda (Varaha) Narasimha swamy shrine is the first shrine we saw after a trek of about a kilometre over rocks and rivulets. Here Lord Narasimha is in the form of a Boar with his consort Lakshmi.
Ahobilam - Terrain
After having darshan of Narasimha Swamy and his consort Chenchulakshmi we setout on foot to the other shrines. Some of us picked bamboo canes to support our gait during the trek. You can see the terrain that was set out for us in the pictures. The first snap is the terrain adjoining the upper Ahobilam shrine, While the second is as you make your way to the Kroda (Varaha) Narasimha Shrine. Travel in groups to be safe as rocks and gravel are slippery.Ahobilam - Upper Ahobilam Narasimha Swamy & Chenchulakshmi
We started by 7am and reached upper Ahobilam by bus and this is the first shrine we visited.The Lord here appears in his fierce aspect, called Ugra Narasimha, and is the presiding deity of this temple and is known as Ahobila Narasimha Swamy. Thayaar or his consort Lakshmi is Chenchulakshmi. The Lord Narasimha was 'Svayambhu' (self-manifested) here.
Chenchu is a tribe and Goddess Lakshmi was born among this tribe and married Narasimha after he slayed Hiranyakasipu. Since the Chenchu tribe are meat eating people even till this day locals offer meat at the Chenchu Lakshmi shrine which is located near the Pavana Narasimha shrine.
Surprisingly there is a Shiva Lingam as you enter the sanctum sanctorum. Lord Narasimha is said to have appeared for Bhakta Prahalada and you would see Bhakta Prahalada with folded hands paying obeisance to the Lord. Notice Hiranyakasipu being torn on the Lord's lap.
Ahobilam - Suggested Itenarary
We were supposed to leave Chennai on Friday at 5:30 in the evening. All of us where there at the Saidapet Police station bus stop on time but the bus turned up only by 8pm! From there we picked up a few more people and left for Ahobilam. The bus was rickety with no push-back seats and we could hardly rest our heads. We stopped by at a small temple at 9:30pm to have our dinner. We had a cook accompanying us because there were some orthodox devotees who don't eat at restaurants, for that matter there are no restaurants in Ahobilam only a few small joints serving the . So the cook had packed dinner. We reached Ahobilam on Saturday at 7 the next morning and lodged at the Ahobilam Mutt. And after toilet and bath set out for the shrines. Our plan was
Day 1 - Morning
---------------
Ahobilam - Upper Ahobilam Narsimha Swamy & Chenchulakshmi
Ahobilam - Kroda (Varaha) Narasimha Swamy
Ahobilam - Jwaala Narasimha Swamy
Ahobilam - Malola Narasimha Swamy
Ahobilam - Karangya Narasimha Swamy
Day 1 - Afternoon
-----------------
Ahobilam - Yogananda Narasimha Swamy
Ahobilam - Chatravatha Narasimha Swamy
Day 1 - Evening
-----------------
Ahobilam - Lower Ahobilam Narsimha Swamy & Amruthavalli
Day 2 - Morning
---------------
Ahobilam - Pavana Narasimha Swamy and Chenchulakshmi
Day 2 - Afternoon
-----------------
Ahobilam - Bhargava Narasimha Swamy
On day 1 we set out after having breakfast and returned by 2:00pm. Had Lunch and an hour of rest and set out again by 4pm. The second day was no different we packed breakfast and set out for Pavana Narasimha Swamy Shrine and returned by 2pm only to leave for Bhargava Narsimha Shrine by 4pm. The darshan we had was splendid because we had the Archakar in every shrine, arranged by then Archakar from Kanchipuram accompanying us and his wife, the organiser, who happened to be from Ahobilam. On Sunday we left Ahobilam at 6pm had dinner again on a wayside temple and reached Chennai by 3 on Monday morning.
Day 1 - Morning
---------------
Ahobilam - Upper Ahobilam Narsimha Swamy & Chenchulakshmi
Ahobilam - Kroda (Varaha) Narasimha Swamy
Ahobilam - Jwaala Narasimha Swamy
Ahobilam - Malola Narasimha Swamy
Ahobilam - Karangya Narasimha Swamy
Day 1 - Afternoon
-----------------
Ahobilam - Yogananda Narasimha Swamy
Ahobilam - Chatravatha Narasimha Swamy
Day 1 - Evening
-----------------
Ahobilam - Lower Ahobilam Narsimha Swamy & Amruthavalli
Day 2 - Morning
---------------
Ahobilam - Pavana Narasimha Swamy and Chenchulakshmi
Day 2 - Afternoon
-----------------
Ahobilam - Bhargava Narasimha Swamy
On day 1 we set out after having breakfast and returned by 2:00pm. Had Lunch and an hour of rest and set out again by 4pm. The second day was no different we packed breakfast and set out for Pavana Narasimha Swamy Shrine and returned by 2pm only to leave for Bhargava Narsimha Shrine by 4pm. The darshan we had was splendid because we had the Archakar in every shrine, arranged by then Archakar from Kanchipuram accompanying us and his wife, the organiser, who happened to be from Ahobilam. On Sunday we left Ahobilam at 6pm had dinner again on a wayside temple and reached Chennai by 3 on Monday morning.
Ahobilam - Suggested Packing List
My trip to Ahobilam over the weekend was sandwiched between two other trips to Colombo. So I had to return from Colombo on Friday (25th Jan) morning only to take the bus that very evening to Ahobilam and I would return to Chennai on morning of the following Monday (28th Jan) only to leave the very evening to Colombo again. So I missed packing a few essentials required for a pilgrimage. Here is what I should have but didnt take with me on my trip.
- Bottled Water and Rehydration Salts (Electral / Glucose)
- Dhoti / Veshti and Angavastram (Its the appropriate dress to pay obesience to the Lord)
- Namam and Trishnam
- Dry fruits to offer the lord - Sugar Candy (Kalkand), Cashew, Badam, Pista, Fig etc
- A terracota cup or Dhonna for offering
- Pramida / Agal, Ghee and Wick to light lamps
- A bottle with a wide mouth to collect the Theertham at various shrines
- Small Plastic Zip Lock cover to collect the kumkum
- Bottled Water and Rehydration Salts (Electral / Glucose)
- Dhoti / Veshti and Angavastram (Its the appropriate dress to pay obesience to the Lord)
- Namam and Trishnam
- Dry fruits to offer the lord - Sugar Candy (Kalkand), Cashew, Badam, Pista, Fig etc
- A terracota cup or Dhonna for offering
- Pramida / Agal, Ghee and Wick to light lamps
- A bottle with a wide mouth to collect the Theertham at various shrines
- Small Plastic Zip Lock cover to collect the kumkum
Ahobilam - Myths and Facts
For quite a few years I have been mystified by Ahobilam mainly due to the strange and often scary tales told by people. I have asked these people a few questions to figure out if these tales are authentic and in almost all instances have have been given vague answers. Here is all the crap that I heard
- Ahobilam is home to 9 Narsimha Shrines
- Its not a place for women
- It is dangerous to visit the 9th Shrine
- The 9th shrine is littered with carcases of sacrificed animals
- People who visit the Jwaala Narasimha Shrine have not returned
This obviously increased my curiosity and a year later I found someone who knew someone who could take me to Ahobilam. And here is what I saw
Ahobilam is located in the Nallamalai hills of the eastern ghats in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. You can reach Ahobilam from Chennai if you take the Renigunta - Cudappah - Allagadda route. From Hyderabad / Secundrabad reach Nandyal then onward to Allagadda and Ahobilam (about 75 kms from Nandyal). By either route it takes about 7 to 10 hours to reach Ahobilam. Ahobilam is about 75 kms from Tirupathi. Ahobilam is one of the 108 Divya Desams and is also known as Singavel Kundram
According to Hindu mythology the Nallamalai hills are a personification of Adishesha the serpant bed of Lord Vishnu. Four important Shaiva (Lord Shiva) and Vaishnava (Lord Vishnu) places of worship are located in the Nallamalai hills - Srisailam (Shaiva) is at the tail end, Ahobilam (Vaishnava) is in the middle, Tirumala (Vaishnava) is at the head end and Srikalahasti (Shaiva) is at the mouth of Adishesha.
According to Brahmanda Purana Ahobilam is the place where the Lord in the form of Narasimha, a half human half Lion personification, killed Hiranyakasipu and saved Prahalada. On introspection I wonder if God had to take such a powerful avatar how powerful Hiranyakasipu would have been. Its also believed that Lord Narasimha granted Hiranyakasipu two wishes before enticing him to come to the door step and then killed him. One look at the terrain and you would notice that it has all the hallmarks of having borne a palace sometime in the past. The layers of rock, the pillars and slabs all of them tell a story, silently! As per legend the palace burned after Narasimha killed Hiranyakasipu and that destruction caused what we know today as the "Cuddapah Stones".
Since the Lord had to take the Narasimha form in a hurry to save Prahalada he left his abode without his Vahana, Garuda. Garuda was upset and so wished for a vision of Lord in the Narasimha Avatar. To fulfill his wish, the Lord settled in the hills around Ahobilam in the midst of dense forests in nine different forms. For this reason this hill came to be known as Garudadri, Garudachalam, and Garudasailam.
According to Stala Purana, there are two popular legends for the derivation of the word 'Ahobilam'. It is stated that the Devas, while witnessing the Ugra Kala, the lord took on in order to tear Hiranyakasipu, sung praises as 'Ahobala' (Aho - Surprise Bala - strength). Hence this place has come to be known as Ahobilam. The other version is that because of the great cave, the Ahobila (Aho - Great Bila - Cave), where Garuda worshipped, did penance and realised the lord, the place itself has come to be called Ahobilam
The whole complex is in two parts - one called Eguvu Ahobilam (Upper Ahobilam) with Nava Narasimha shrines and the other called Diguvu Ahobilam (Lower Ahobilam)
Thirumangai Azhvaar has sung ten verses about this temple in Periya Thirumozhi.
- Ahobilam is home to 9 Narsimha Shrines - Well Right and Wrong it is home to 10 Narasimha Shrines. Nava Narasimhas and the Tenth Narasimha - Prahaladha Varadhan at Lower Ahobilam which is not counted among the other shrines
- Its not a place for women - Wrong. Its very safe. Just dont wander out alone in the dark thats not safe anywhere in the world.
- It is dangerous to visit the 9th Shrine - Pavana Narasimha Temple, The 9th shrine is accessed by a 6 km trek through the forest. Ofcourse you should not venture out alone but going in groups of 5 - 10 people is definitely safe. There have been reported sightings of Grizzly Bears but in my visit we were fortunate not to have such encounters. Have faith in the lord and dont take this trip as if it was a picnic.
- The 9th shrine is littered with carcases of sacrificed animals - The Chenchu Lakshmi shrine does have feathers strewn about and traces of blood from sacrifices. In fact you'll observe this while climbing the first few steps of the trek but there is nothing to scare the daylights of you. You'd have probably seen this sight in your neigbourhood.
- People who visit the Jwaala Narasimha Shrine have not returned - I belive there was a single incident of two people falling into the gorge but considering the number of people who visit the shrine Lord Narasimha Swamy has been great to his devotees. Have faith, will-power and devotion and leave the rest to him. But yes don't get over-emotional or panic and run through the path. Such behaviour causes accidents. Walk in a single line and allow the opposite traffic to pass. Have patience.
- Ahobilam is home to 9 Narsimha Shrines
- Its not a place for women
- It is dangerous to visit the 9th Shrine
- The 9th shrine is littered with carcases of sacrificed animals
- People who visit the Jwaala Narasimha Shrine have not returned
This obviously increased my curiosity and a year later I found someone who knew someone who could take me to Ahobilam. And here is what I saw
Ahobilam is located in the Nallamalai hills of the eastern ghats in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. You can reach Ahobilam from Chennai if you take the Renigunta - Cudappah - Allagadda route. From Hyderabad / Secundrabad reach Nandyal then onward to Allagadda and Ahobilam (about 75 kms from Nandyal). By either route it takes about 7 to 10 hours to reach Ahobilam. Ahobilam is about 75 kms from Tirupathi. Ahobilam is one of the 108 Divya Desams and is also known as Singavel Kundram
According to Hindu mythology the Nallamalai hills are a personification of Adishesha the serpant bed of Lord Vishnu. Four important Shaiva (Lord Shiva) and Vaishnava (Lord Vishnu) places of worship are located in the Nallamalai hills - Srisailam (Shaiva) is at the tail end, Ahobilam (Vaishnava) is in the middle, Tirumala (Vaishnava) is at the head end and Srikalahasti (Shaiva) is at the mouth of Adishesha.
According to Brahmanda Purana Ahobilam is the place where the Lord in the form of Narasimha, a half human half Lion personification, killed Hiranyakasipu and saved Prahalada. On introspection I wonder if God had to take such a powerful avatar how powerful Hiranyakasipu would have been. Its also believed that Lord Narasimha granted Hiranyakasipu two wishes before enticing him to come to the door step and then killed him. One look at the terrain and you would notice that it has all the hallmarks of having borne a palace sometime in the past. The layers of rock, the pillars and slabs all of them tell a story, silently! As per legend the palace burned after Narasimha killed Hiranyakasipu and that destruction caused what we know today as the "Cuddapah Stones".
Since the Lord had to take the Narasimha form in a hurry to save Prahalada he left his abode without his Vahana, Garuda. Garuda was upset and so wished for a vision of Lord in the Narasimha Avatar. To fulfill his wish, the Lord settled in the hills around Ahobilam in the midst of dense forests in nine different forms. For this reason this hill came to be known as Garudadri, Garudachalam, and Garudasailam.
According to Stala Purana, there are two popular legends for the derivation of the word 'Ahobilam'. It is stated that the Devas, while witnessing the Ugra Kala, the lord took on in order to tear Hiranyakasipu, sung praises as 'Ahobala' (Aho - Surprise Bala - strength). Hence this place has come to be known as Ahobilam. The other version is that because of the great cave, the Ahobila (Aho - Great Bila - Cave), where Garuda worshipped, did penance and realised the lord, the place itself has come to be called Ahobilam
The whole complex is in two parts - one called Eguvu Ahobilam (Upper Ahobilam) with Nava Narasimha shrines and the other called Diguvu Ahobilam (Lower Ahobilam)
Thirumangai Azhvaar has sung ten verses about this temple in Periya Thirumozhi.
- Ahobilam is home to 9 Narsimha Shrines - Well Right and Wrong it is home to 10 Narasimha Shrines. Nava Narasimhas and the Tenth Narasimha - Prahaladha Varadhan at Lower Ahobilam which is not counted among the other shrines
- Its not a place for women - Wrong. Its very safe. Just dont wander out alone in the dark thats not safe anywhere in the world.
- It is dangerous to visit the 9th Shrine - Pavana Narasimha Temple, The 9th shrine is accessed by a 6 km trek through the forest. Ofcourse you should not venture out alone but going in groups of 5 - 10 people is definitely safe. There have been reported sightings of Grizzly Bears but in my visit we were fortunate not to have such encounters. Have faith in the lord and dont take this trip as if it was a picnic.
- The 9th shrine is littered with carcases of sacrificed animals - The Chenchu Lakshmi shrine does have feathers strewn about and traces of blood from sacrifices. In fact you'll observe this while climbing the first few steps of the trek but there is nothing to scare the daylights of you. You'd have probably seen this sight in your neigbourhood.
- People who visit the Jwaala Narasimha Shrine have not returned - I belive there was a single incident of two people falling into the gorge but considering the number of people who visit the shrine Lord Narasimha Swamy has been great to his devotees. Have faith, will-power and devotion and leave the rest to him. But yes don't get over-emotional or panic and run through the path. Such behaviour causes accidents. Walk in a single line and allow the opposite traffic to pass. Have patience.
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Bhakthi Sudha - Sthothram Collection
This is probably the best compliment I have received for the New Year. The Bhakthi Sudha is a pocket sized book containing various sthothrams : Dakshinamurthy, Thirupavai, Venkatesa Suprabatham, Vishnu Sahasranamam etc. It slips easily into the briefcase or portfolio bag and is ideal for travelers who would like to recite sthothrams on their travels.Thendral Mini Diary
These mini diaries come with some valuable information. Raahu Kaalam, Yamagandam timings; 2008 Calendar, Pournami (Full Moon) timings, Amavasya (New Moon) etc. This one pictured on the left is particularly interesting it contains a page of addresses of the latest heart throbs of tamil films!
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