Popular Temple
Sri Narasimha Swamy Temple, Ahobilam
Ahobilam, Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh
Nine shrines of Narasimha spread through the gorges of the Eastern Ghats
At a glance
- Location
- Ahobilam, Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh
- Presiding deity
- Lord Narasimha (in nine forms)
- Temple type
- Popular Temple
- Tradition
- Vaishnava
- Nearest railway station
- Nandyal railway station (~70 km); Kurnool (~150 km)
- Nearest airport
- Kurnool Airport, Orvakal (~160 km); Hyderabad (~350 km)
- Best time to visit
- October to February; Narasimha Jayanti is the main festival. The area gets extremely hot in summer.
History
Ahobilam lies in Allagadda mandal of Nandyal district, among the hills and gorges of the Eastern Ghats. It is the principal centre of Narasimha worship, where nine forms of the deity — the Nava Narasimha — are enshrined at separate sites. The main settlement and temple complex are at Lower Ahobilam, with Upper Ahobilam further up the hill.
Spiritual significance
By tradition this is where Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu and protected Prahlada. Visiting all nine Narasimha shrines is treated as a pilgrimage in itself, and some of them require a climb through forest paths. The site is also associated with the Ahobila Matha.
Plan your visit
Darshan timings
The main temple is open from morning to evening. Visits to the upper shrines should be kept to daylight hours, as the paths run through forest.
Timings change on festivals and special occasions. Confirm with the temple's official source before you travel.
Buses and taxis run from Nandyal and Allagadda. A road reaches Upper Ahobilam, but several of the nine shrines are reached on foot through forest, so allow at least two days for the full circuit.
Continue your Vishnu bhakti
Devotional texts for this deity, already on the site.