Ahobilam Ksetra 2008

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle part 4

Dear Friends and worshippers of Lord Narasimha,
please help to protect the environment of Ahobilam, keep the mystic and beautiful serenity of that holy ksetra on top all our endavour. It would be nice if some devotees could do some support for rebuilding this lost Mandapas inside the jungle,by keeping eye on the nature and dont harm the natural beauty with that work. Because vastu and silpa sastra are in accordance with Gods Nature, it would be only a juwel on the chest of the Lord! But if we dont do anything, thieves and thugs will steal our tradition for money sake only! So please let us do something for the cause of the futures generations!

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle part 3

And we find on the old pathway pillars from some unknown temple/mandapa. All that you can find on the way to Upper Ahobilam, and it would be nice if that Mandapas come back to their beauty, and not land in some antique store in USA or Bombay.

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle part 3

This is the Kunda/watertank like Mandapa, a very beautiful and fantastic building is falling apart. Please dear devotees help that this wonderful mandapas are rebuilt! It is not far away from the main temple in Lower ahobilam, but it is inside the jungle.

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle part 2

In one of the mandapa they have dismantled some of the pillars from the structure, digged a very deep hole inside and dragged out something from the ground (a hidden wealth?). Then they have taken those pillars to some antique stores or foreign land!

Lost Mandapas inside the jungle

In ancient times Ahobilam was trekked only by foot, and no road was there. Now daily trucks and Busses rush the way up to Upper Ahobilam.
But 15 years ago i have walked all trough Ahobilam by foot and i discovered a ancient walkpath from lower ahobilam up to Upper Ahobilam (around 5 - 6km). One can find even the walking steps from time to time. On the path you come across two ancient mandapas and one overgrown Kunda in Mandapa Style. In olden days when the Utsava deities where coming or going from up to down Ahobilam, the Lord with his servants (archakas and helpers) rested under those places. This time i wanted to find the railtrack again and we had success! But the condition of those 3 Mandapas were horrorfying! It needs only few more years and they totally fall apart.

Holy ponds in and around Ahobilam

Ahobilam has more then 15 ponds in and around the holy ksetra, and most of them are natural spring or waterpools from rainy season. The environment and nature of Ahobilam is unique, but it is endangered by human misbehaviour. With the popularity of Ahobilam also the beauty of nature gets walked over by tousands of pilgrims, the natural water resources and rare species of life to be threatened with extinction. Communities and Devotees should work together to preserve those natural beauty, and in the same time direct and teach those masses of pilgrims about the importance of coexistence with nature and Holy caves in Ahobilam!

Chatravata Narasimha Swamy and Yoga Narasimha Swamy

Between Lower and Upper Ahobilam around 3 km from Lower Ahobilam, you can find close to each other two Narasimha temples. One is Chatravata Narasimha and Yogananda Narasimha Swamy.
Chatravata Narasimha is a very unique Deity, and only seen in Ahobilam. He had blessed two Gandarvas for celestial voice, after they have lost the ability of singing. His beautiful smile is the very uniqueness of this Deity, and He is nicely taken care by some archaka daily. The temple is renovated and has even a wall around. The Tree who had given shadow once upon a time, is no more. But it is clean and nicely maintained.
Yogananda Narasimha Swamy is worshipped in a small Shrine, next to a newly built 64 Gods temple, were all 9 forms of Lord Narasimha are connected to the 9 Planets (Navagrahas), and many more deities you will see there.
But the Yogananda Narasimha Swamy is the oldest Temple in this area, and he has a special aura around him.
The picture you see are the landscape of lower Ahobilam, hot and dry as usual in Andhra Pradesh (chilipakora!).

Pavana Narasimha Swamy Ki Jaya!

Pavana Narasimha Swamy

Pavana Narasimha Swamy is the farthest temple from Upper Ahobilam, around 8 km trough jungle. I would suggest to get a guide if you have not been there before. We could travel alone, because we knew the way, and also from time to time some sign is coming and guiding you. After a very steep staircase of around 660 steps, you reach the plateau and from then on it is more easy. But before is quite tuff to walk. Best is also leave early morning.
Sri Pavana Narasimha Swamy has a lot of stories in connection with this ancient shrine, and it is said that it was here where Sri Adi Shankara was reciting (or creating) the Narasimha Karavalamba Stotra for his protection against the Kapalika tantric, who wanted to offer him for his Kali. It is said that it was here where one of the Shankaracarya tradition (most probably not the first one, Adi Shankara) later on did his commentary to the Narasimha Tapani Upanishad. We had the blessing to make some mystic picture of the Pavana Narasimha Deity.
On certain days it is here that the tribes of the forest come together and offer animals to the Lord outside of the temple compound. A very ancient and not very sattvic procedure indeed!
Above in the forest (maybe 5 minutes walk) you can find another cave, where Chenchu (bhu devi) is worshipped by the tribes.

ugra stambha part 2

Also here i have placed my Lord lakshmi Narasimha and we did a small puja, just on the spot of Lord Narasimha's appearance. We did a very nice prayer/bhajan and completing with some offering of dates and nuts to the Lord. Just when i finnished a big group of monkeys came and tried a steal the offering. I was scared a bit and packed my Lord fast in my bag.

Ugra Stambha part 1

From Jwala Narasimha one is walking around 30 minutes, or better to say one has to climb... It is said that this is the spot where Lord Narasimha appeared from the palace Pillar of Hiranyakashipu. It is now a huge rock, cut into two and the spot is marked from where the Lord appeared. It took a lot of energy to climb on the top of the mountain, but it was a very exciting and trilling expierence.

Jwala Narasimha Swamy Cave part 2

As i new from my visits last 15 years ago, if you come very early before sunrise, you will have a very extraordinary Darshan of Lord Jwala Narasimha, as the Sun comes straight into the cave on sunrise. So we came early this time, but i was shocked first to see that the gate was locked. But it was just a broken lock, to be hang in, so we could enter inside the cave. But then i saw they have built the roof along the whole Mandapa, and when the early morning sun came, and suppose to touch the Lord Vigraha Body, it was prevented by the plastic roof... How disappointing that was. But still Lord Narasimha is standing on his spot as it where for many of hundred of years. There are 2 forms here inside the cave. Jwala Ugra Narasimha in his Samhara form with 16 hands in the middle. Right from his side is Stambha Narasimha (coming out from the pillar) and from his left side you see Vira Narasimha (fighting with the Demon). There were also two other deities, but there are not there anymore (one Varadaraja and one Rishi i guess...). May that was the cause why they have built everywhere fenses to protect this shrines. From the back of the cave and source of the Bhavanasini River. So all Deities get sprinkled by Mother Bavanasini and becomes only after touching Jwala Narasimha a river below the mountain.

I had my small Lakshmi Narasimha deity with me, and one Narasimha Saligrama, and we did some puja here, while nobody was there. We offered camphor, some fruits and incense, did some chanting of Narasimha Dvadasanama stotra and Mantrarajpadastotram along with Purusa Sukta and Manyu sukta (Narasimha sukta from from the Rg Veda!).

Jwala Narasimha Swamy Cave

The best is for going Darshan to Jwala Narasimha and Ugra Stambha early morning while leaving around 5.30 am. If you stay in Upper Ahobilam you have to pass Ahobileshwara Narasimha Swamy Temple and Varaha Narasimha Cave. From Varaha Narasimha Cave they have built recently on big bridge over the ancient river bed, but the old pathway is going trough the half dry River bed from where you will reach and path up to Jwala Narasimha Cave. It takes around 1 hour from Upper Ahobilam to reach this cave, and another 30 min. for climbing the Ugra Stambha. Before you reach the Jwala narasimha Cave, you have to pass trough a light waterfall (after rainy season more water!), then you reach a spot called "Rakta Kunda" were Lord Narasimha washed his hands, after killing the demon Hiranyakashipu. Normally the Mud appears reddish, as also the stones in and around Jwala narasimha have that natural colour of red. Nowadays a small mandapa is built in front of Jwala Narasimha cave, with metal fences to protect the deities from thieves and merauders, as there is nobody staying out here in the jungle. The atmosphere is very impressive, thick forest and lot of animals. 15 years ago, my first trip to Ahobilam has almost met with one of the rare jungle tigers not far from this cave. But Lord Narasimha was kind, and we had luck and beautiful darshan of Him only.

Ramanuja Cave

Just next to the Varaha Narasimha Cave in Upper Ahobilam, you can find another small cave. There you can have darshan of one very ancient Ramanujacarya Deity. (click on the pictures to see them bigger!)

chenchu tribes are Narasimha bhaktas

The locals of Ahobilam Area are mostly poor but very strong bhaktas of Lord Narasimha. Recently from the Ahobilam Math for the locals was a new practice installed for the devotion and prosperity of all bhaktas. It is done for 40 days, Narasimha Mantra are the daily food* and other vratas are followed. They walk (mostly barefoot) for 30 days along with the Utsava of Prahlad Narasimha (lower Ahobilam procession deity), and on the beginning get Narasimha Diksha* (initation into the Narasimha Bhakti), wear only yellow cloth, and do a kind of vrata (vow). It is very similar to the ayyappa or devi utsava in december/january in India. But more of a sattvic style, as meateating, alcohol, gambling and other bad activities are forbitten. We have to do such thing here in germany too...!

Chenu Lakshmi - the tribal folk Devi marries Lord Narasimha

One of the uniqueness of this place is the matter of fact that after the Lord appared here, he married one of the local tribe girls, who was no other then Bhumi devi. She is shown with Him, either without breastband (as normally bhudevi is shown in iconography), or with a bow and arrow to hunt. It is not just the local belief, but also very much accepted in the Vaishnava world tradition. Works on this marriage by a very respected sannyasi from the 16th century, references in some of the prayers to the Lord and the carvings in and around the different Ahobilam shrines and temples from those days, show the proof.

Yoga Narasimha Temple

Prahlad School and Yoga Narasimha Cave is also not far from Malola Narasimha temple and needs only to walk for 10 - 15 minutes. It is a flat area (plateau) were a corner has a small pathway to a cave, were one can find a small Yoga Narasimha. On the plateau it self, one can find ancient script, and it is said that on this spot Prahlad got the alphabet teached here. Lord Narasimha is here in Yoga posture, as he teached Prahlad the science on how to reach the Divine, while meditation.

Malola Narasimha swamy

Malola Narasimha Swamy is the main utsava Deity who is travelling along with the Ahobilam Jeeyar nowadays. The swamy ordered to renovate all the 9 temples of Narasimha here in Ahobilam. The Utsava Deity of Malola was handed down from Lord Narasimha himself to the first Jeeyar (sannyasi) of the Math, to go on travelling and visit all mankind. That tradition is even carried on today. The temple was totally reconstructed, and also a new Vigraha of Narasimha was installed along with the Old one. It lies around 3 km away from the maintemple in upper ahobilam, on the Vedadri mountain. Not far from here you can visit the school of Prahlada and the Yoga Narasimha Cave.

Varaha Narasimha Cave

Sri Varaha Narasimha Swamy Cave (Krodha Narasimha Swamy) is just few minutes away from the main temple, Sri Ahobileshwara Narasimha swamy in Upper Ahobilam. It houses 3 deities, one from them is Lord Varaha keeping Mother Earth on his noose with a lion tail on his back, representing the Narasimha lila to be part of the whole story.
The Cave was once in a very broken condition, and open for all creatures. Many times bears and snakes had come to take shelter here. Nowadays it has metal fence sealings, and the Mandapa is renovated. Also Bears in those area are more rare now, due to lot of prilgrims, noise and tension in their homeland.
One of the pillar is very unique, it shows on offering of ones head inside a fire sacrifice. Anyone of you know what is the story behind this carving (see pics please)???

Ugra Ahobileswara Narasimha Swamy / Upper Ahobilam part 2

The Ahobileshwara Narasimha Temple of Upper Ahobilam is placed between Garudadri- and Vedadri Mountain, and pilgrims who wanted to visit the other temples behind this temple had to go trough this temple once. Nowadays a walkpath was made around, as a bridge to cross the river who passes next to the temple. That river spring from the kamadalu of Lord Brahma, after trying to passify Lord Narasimhas Anger (to cool him, so to say). Inside Ahobileshwara Narasimha Swamy temple you can find also a very ancient kitchen and some nice mandapas. In festival time Chenchus (tribes) who are very devoted to Lord Narasimha, do their kind of worship to him (cracking coconuts on their own head, carrying burning camphor on the bare hands for a very long time and offer it to the Gopuram, the representive of the Lord etc...).

Ugra Ahobileswara Narasimha Swamy / Upper Ahobilam

The very first temple of Ahobilam, and the most important one as well. Here Lord Narasimha has appeared in front of Garuda after long time of tapasya inside the Caves. From here the name "Ahobilam" came into our world, as Devas who visited this place described it as "powerful" "wonderful" etc... The deity is svayambhu (selfmanifested), a two handed Narasimha ripping apart the demon Hiranyakashipu. One of the first jeeyar of Ahobilam Matham has entered one of the cave below the nowaday temple alive, and ordered to seal it from outside. It is said he ist still doing the puja, and one can hear the bell ringing in very early morning time. The temple is typicial vijayanagar style (15th century) with very excellent carvings and detail works. On top of the temple one finds the yagashala and some very long gateways for pujas etc...The temple structure was recently renovated and all Gopurams got a good paint. Near that temple one finds two resthouses, who are packed on weekends or festivals. In 1998 i have been attended the brahmotsavam here, and i was lucky to get some space for sleep (NOT Room!) between hunderds of other pilgrims. But it was one of the best festival i ever expierenced!

Karanja Narasimha

Sri Karanja Narasimha Swamy is a very unqiue Form of Lord Narasimha here in Ahobilam, and a very ancient shrine too! He has 4 hands holding shanka, chakra, resting hand and Bow/arrow. With this he revealed to Hanuman that his beloved Lord Rama is the same as He. Therefore one finds in front of the temple a big Hanuman shrine. When i came here 10 years ago last time, it was still in very bad condition. Now renovation has been done by the Ahobilam Matham, and not only this temple other shrines got reconstructed too. Here we have found even a friendly archaka (priest), who shared with us Prasadam of the Lord.

Bhargava Narasimha Temple Ahobilam

After leaving the mainroad from lower ahobilam, one has to go left inside the forest area to find this Temple of Lord Narasimha, Sri Bhargava Narasimha Swamy. Its around 3km from the main temple Prahlad Varada Narasimha, and reachable per foot (walking distance around 1/2 hour)
The temple is on a small hillock, below the ancient tank where it said Bhargava Rishi (Parashurama!) has done some tapasya here to get the Darshan of Narasimha in his Samhara Rupa (killing the demon)! After some years Lord Narasimha appeared to Him and blessed him with this ancient deity. That deity is worshipped mainly by pilgrims, not by a regular worship from a priest. The utsava Deity (pancaloham movable deity made from 5 metals) of Bhargava Narasimha Swamy is housed inside the Main temple Prahlad Narasimha Swamy. A very calm and peaceful place, and perfect for Narasimha Japa !