A monolithic statue of Narasimha at Vijayanagara.

Ahobilam or Ahobalam is a major center of pilgrimage in south India. According to the legend, this is where Lord Narasimha blessed Prahlada and killed the demon Hiranyakashipa. It is an important place of worship for Vaishnavas. Hampi- Ugra Narasimha Photograph taken by me (KRS) in December 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Hampi- Ugra Narasimha Photograph taken by me (KRS) in December 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Vijayanagara (often written Vijayanagar, meaning the city of victory), in northern Karnataka, is the name of the now ruined capital city of the historic Vijayanagara empire in the Southern part of India. ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... Yoga-Narasimha form at a temple in Vijayanagara, Hampi, India (man-lion) (also known as Narasingh, Narasinga) (नरसिंह in Devanagari) is described as the fourth incarnation (Avatara) of Lord Vishnu within the Vedic/Puranic texts of Hinduism. ... In Hinduism, Prahlada was a son of Hiranyakashipu, a Daitya who hated the devas, and most especially, Lord Vishnu, the followers of whom he began to torment. ... St. ... In Hinduism, Hiranyakashipu (or Hiranyakasipu) was a demon whose younger brother, Hiranyaksha was killed by Varaha, one of the avatars of Vishnu. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ...

This place was visited by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and it is located in remote place far away from main roads. Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST ) (Bangla ) (1486 - 1534), was an ascetic Hindu monk and social reformer in 16th century Bengal, India (present-day West Bengal and Bangladesh). ...

According to legend it is believed that when the Devas saw the manifestation of Lord Vishnu as half lion half man they shouted "Ahobala" (great strength) as well as "Ahobila" (great cave in which the current sanctum is). Hence this place could be called "Ahobalam" or "Ahobilam". Deva (देव in Devanagari script, pronounced as dévə) is the Sanskrit word for god, deity. It can be variously interpreted as a spirit, demi-god, celestial being, angel, deity or any supernatural being of high excellence. ...

However, this is disputed by other historical data, which indicates that Multan in Pakistan was formerly Mulastan, which used to have a large Narasimha worshipping Vaishnava community. The temples were later destroyed by Islamic invaders, and the residents killed or forcibly converted to Islam.

Ahobilam is located in the Nandyal Taluka of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. It is located at a distance of 40 km from Nandyal, and is conveniently accessibly by bus from Nandyal, Kurnool and Hyderabad. Ahobilam is not connected by rail; the closest railway stations are Nandyal (on the Bangalore-Vizag(Vishakapatnam) route) and Cuddapah (on the Mumbai-Chennai route). Nandyal is a town in the centre of Andhra Pradesh state of southern India. ... Map showing kurnool district Kurnool   is a city in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh state of southern India. ... Andhra Pradesh  : (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్, Urdu: آندھرا پردیش, IPA: ), is a state in South India. ... Hyderabad or Haydarābād (Telugu: హైదరాబాదు Urdu: حیدر آباد ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ... Bangalore (proposed to be renamed Bengalooru or Bengaluru) (Kannada: ; pronunciation: in Kannada and in English) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. ... Visakhapatnam (Also Vishākhapatnam, shortened and Anglicized: Vizag) is a large city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. ... Map showing cuddapah district Cuddapah, or Kadapa, as it is known now, is one of the districts of Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh, India. ... Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई, IPA: ), formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, the most populous city of India, and by some measures the most populous city in the world with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006). ... Chennai   (Tamil: ), formerly known as Madras  , is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and is Indias fourth largest metropolitan city. ...

There are three routes reaching Ahobilam. Pilgrims from the north can get down at Nandyal, which is a Railway junction from Kurnool, and travel by bus to Allagadda and Ahobalam, which is only thirty miles from Nandyal.

The second route is from Dhone which is another railway station and from which one can reach Ahobilam via Banganapalli and Koilakuntla. Designed for the lazier palate, the Banganapalli Mango has almost zero fibre, and an unspoilt obliquely oval specimen presents an unblemised golden yellow thin edible skin. ...

The other and easy route is to get down at Cuddapah which is a district headquarters and an important railway station in the Madras - Bombay route. From Cuddapah one has to travel to Allagadda, which is forty miles over and from there by bus to Ahobilam Map showing cuddapah district Cuddapah, or Kadapa, as it is known now, is one of the districts of Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh, India. ... Madras refers to: the Indian city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras, the former Indian state, now known as Tamil Nadu (Plural of Madra): Ancient people of Iranian affinites, who lived in northwest Panjab in the Uttarapatha division of ancient India. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ...

The holy shrines of Ahobilam (all the Nava are Nine Nrusimhars) are eulogized by Thirumangai Mannan. Hence Ahobilam is one of the 106 Divya Desams. The heriditary powers of the temple rest with the Pontiff HH Azhagiyasingar of Ahobila Mutt. Currently the 45th Jeer of this lineage is the reigning Pontiff . The Azhagiyasingars have the unique priviledge of being Aradhakars to a Divya Desam (a distinction no other Pontiff enjoys). Occasionally when HH Jeer performs Mangalasasanam (pays respects at the temple) at Ahobilam, the Serthi Utsavam is performed (the Moolavar of Malola Nrusimhar and the Utsavar) are united.

External links

• Sri Narasimhaswamy Temple, Ahobilam
• http://www.ahobilamutt.org/temples/ahobil/ahobil.html
• http://ddtrips.blogspot.com - Ahobilam travelogue