Simhachalam Temple

The Simhachalam temple is an ornate shrine that is reversed to be one of the most important temples in the city of Vishakhapatnam. This temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is an incarnation of Vishnu himself is perched on top of a hill 800 meters above sea level. Simhachalam Temple is the only temple in the country where Shri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swami, who is a combination of the third and fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu appears. Lord Narasimha appears here in the tribhanga posture and has two hands with the head of a lion on a human torso.

This temple is embellished with extremely details stone cravings and designs that it can be spotted from a distance. The Simhachalam Temple is a shrine that follows strict discipline and has detailed prayer routines for all days of the year which do not get disturbed even by the influx of pilgrims. This place is a treasure of traditional Vaishnavite culture, and you can study the same in the routine of the temple and the various inscriptions that it houses. Interestingly, the statue of the deity appears in its true form only for 12 hours per year on the day of Akshaya Tritiya.

On any other occasion, the idol is covered with sandalwood paste. Owing to its rich history and strong traditional values this temple has been a source of inspiration to many poets such as KuchimanchiTimma Kavi, Adidam Sura Kavi, and the likes.

History of Simhachalam Temple

Although the exact age of the holy place is not mentioned anywhere, it contains several scriptures that give a rough idea of when the temple was established.

Dating its history back to 1098 AD, the Simhachalam Temple has an inscription that belongs to the era of Chola King Kulothunga. Another inscription shows that the sanctum was constructed in the age of 1267 AD. There is one more inscription that is left by Sri Krishna Devaraya who visited the temple twice at the time of 1516 AD and 1519 AD to celebrate his win against the ruler of Orissa.

Other than that, the temple also features 250 plus ancient texts that are written in Telugu and Oriya language and have something different to say about the construction of the Simhachalam temple. Hence, it has become quite difficult to dedicate the name of a single entity to this place.

Architecture of Simhachalam Temple

This temple has a square sanctum mounted by a tower, a porch in front with a smaller tower above it, and a sixteen-pillared mandapam. Overlooking this is the verandah, all made out of dark granite carved with traditional designs of floral ornamentation and scenes from the Vaishnavite Puranas. The verandah houses a statue of a horse-driven chariot as well. Outside the inner enclosure is the marvelous Natyamandapam, where God's marriage rites are performed.

This is supported by 96 black stone pillars arranged in sixteen rows, each of which bears unique and astounding stone carvings. An ancient marvel, this temple is worth a visit for its architectural details itself.