Ahobilam
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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.
This place was visited by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and it is located in remote place far away from main roads.
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".
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).
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.
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
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 hereditary 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 privilege 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.
[edit] External links
- Sri Narasimhaswamy Temple, Ahobilam
- http://www.ahobilamutt.org/temples/ahobil/ahobil.html
- http://ddtrips.blogspot.com - Ahobilam travelogue
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