
Near the top of the north side of the hill, in a wooden hallow surrounded by a wide circle of higher ground resembling an amphetheatre, is the temple of Narasimha which gives the hill its name. This is the most famous, richest and the best sculptured shrine of the Northern Circars and the Rajahs of Vizianagaram, who have endowed to it with lands etc., are its hereditary trustees for the last two centuries. It has been brought under the purview of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act under a special scheme.The way up to the temple runs along the glen through fields of pine-apples dotted with mango, jack and other trees. It passes up a broad flight of well kept stone steps about a thousand in number, on either side of which, trees have been grown to afford shade, and refresh the weary pilgrims. The steps have been lighted from top to bottom and at intervals, recently, toranas were also build.
The legend goes that Jaya and Vijaya the gate keepers of the celestial abode of Lord Vishnu were cursed to be born as demons by the Lord for the disrespect they showed to some visiting sages. They were born as Hiranyakasipu and Kiranyasha to the sage Kasyapa and grew into mighty demon lords bent upon disturbing the peace of the world. The younger of the two, Hiranyaksha, seized the earth and carried it to another region. Lord Vishnu delivered the earth from the clutches of the demon by assuming the Boar incarnation (Varaha Avatara) aggrieved by the death of his brother, Hiranyakaspipu wanted to avenge the death of his brother. He added to his might the power of penance and began to punish the gods and sages, the devotees of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu was once again prevailed upon to rescue the world from the menace of this demon. Then the Lord made one of his servants, Sumukha, to be born as a son of Hiranyakasipu. This son of Hiranyakasipu, named Prahlada, became a devotee of Vishnu even his birth and thus brought upon himself the wrath of his father. Hiranyakasipu tried tomend the ways of his erring son, but when he found him to be adamant, made him undergo several hardships. He made the elephants trample over him and set poisonous snakes against him. Prahlada protected as he was diving grace, stood firm. Hiranyakasipu, as a lost resort, asked his events to throw his son into the sea and place a mountain over him.His servants chose to drop Prahlada in the sea near the mount Simhadri with a view to place the mountain over him. But before they could complete their act Lord Narauyana rescued him by jumping over the hill and lifting up Prahalada from the sea. Simhadri is thus the place where the Lord rescued Prahlada. The form of Varaaha Narasimha was assumed by him, then at the prayer of his devotee Prahlada, who wanted to see both the aspects of the Lord, the one by which he had already killed Hiranyakasha and the other by which he killed Hiranyakasipu.

General Information:
City : Simhachalam
District : Visakhapatnam
State : Andhra Pradesh
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