The next day I took the Vizag Heritage Tour. The first destination was the Simhachalam Temple, located on a picturesque tree-covered hill known as “Lion’s Hill” about 16 km away from the city. This Hindu temple is dedicated to Lord Varaha Narasimha, an incarnation of Vishnu. According to several Internet sources, it is the second richest temple (after Tirpati) in India. It is also Andhra Pradesh’s most famous temple and is a common pilgrimage for devotees. The newer entrance tower was painted white and was in a similar style to the gopurams of Tamil Nadu. The real treasure was the ancient temple, constructed some time in the 9
th or 10
th century. The place was abuzz with people, many of whom had just-shaved heads. Women were selling orange petals. In the parking area, one could choose from a plethora of religious trinkets, snacks, and cheap Chinese toys.
After placing my sandals in the holding slot (shoes are prohibited in temples), I walked towards the stone temple. Lion-like figures formed the columns, lined up in a row. The surface of the temple was covered with mythical creatures, men doing heroic deeds, dancing figures, and a central boar-like headed creature named Vamana. The morning sunlight cast itself right on a smooth column containing inscriptions of ancient-looking writing that probably was in Telugu. Next to it, people were giving doing pujas to a bull figure, offering flowers, bananas, incense, and coconut. I would have liked to have stayed to admire the scene and the beautiful exterior of the temple, but the tour guide ushered me through a gate in order to see the interior. There were two lines – one free (which had a long slow-moving line), and the other paid. Different ceremonies were going on inside. I passed by the sacred statue of the main deity covered in sandalwood paste that is revealed in its true form only 12 hours of the year, but didn’t understand its significance. I was also allowed to enter a tiny temple in which a Lingam was placed in the middle and worship underway. I preferred watching briefly through an open door, decorated with hanging garlands of marigolds. Next to that was a large circular open-air thatched structure with a short wall. Inside were several calves, each with a brightly beaded necklace.
After placing my sandals in the holding slot (shoes are prohibited in temples), I walked towards the stone temple. Lion-like figures formed the columns, lined up in a row. The surface of the temple was covered with mythical creatures, men doing heroic deeds, dancing figures, and a central boar-like headed creature named Vamana. The morning sunlight cast itself right on a smooth column containing inscriptions of ancient-looking writing that probably was in Telugu. Next to it, people were giving doing pujas to a bull figure, offering flowers, bananas, incense, and coconut. I would have liked to have stayed to admire the scene and the beautiful exterior of the temple, but the tour guide ushered me through a gate in order to see the interior. There were two lines – one free (which had a long slow-moving line), and the other paid. Different ceremonies were going on inside. I passed by the sacred statue of the main deity covered in sandalwood paste that is revealed in its true form only 12 hours of the year, but didn’t understand its significance. I was also allowed to enter a tiny temple in which a Lingam was placed in the middle and worship underway. I preferred watching briefly through an open door, decorated with hanging garlands of marigolds. Next to that was a large circular open-air thatched structure with a short wall. Inside were several calves, each with a brightly beaded necklace.
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing the information on Simhachalam Temple, Andhra Pradesh. It was nice going through it. keep up the good work.
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