The Nine NarasimhAs

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

A Nrusimha BhakthA sent me by private mail

recently his describtion of the visit to the nine

sannadhis at AhObilam .

 

I thought that sevArthis , who have not

visited Ahoboilam would enjoy this write-up .

Excellent pictorial materail is available to us

at the AhObiilam home pags maintained by

our Sri Dileepan with great care and Bhakthi .

 

V.Sadagopan

 

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>there are 9 great shrines of Lord Lakshmi-nrsimhan on the sylvan hills that

>nestle the great temple of upper Ahobilam. Of the 9 shrines all but 3 are

>situated on hilly terrain deep in the jungle.

>

>The average pilgrim will generally find no difficulty at all in reaching and

>offering worship at the shrines of " bhArgava-nrsimhan " , " yOgAnanda-nrsimhan "

>and " chattravata-nrsimhan " …. these are all shrines at the foot of the hilly

>ranges of Ahobilam within a few kilometres of each other.

>

>The " kAranja-nrsimhan " shrine is at a little distance before the upper

>reaches of Ahobilam but on a steep gradient and hence it is rather less easy

>to reach than the three shrines first mentioned.

>

>The shrines of " ahobila-nrsimhan " , " krOda-nrsimhan " , " mAlOla-nrsimhan " ,

> " jwAlA-nrsimhan " and " pAvana-nrsimhan " are all at progressively higher

>altitudes and hence one is more difficult to reach than the preceding one.

>By the time a pilgrim worships at the " mAlOla-sannidhi " and traverses the

>distance of a few kilometres to " prahlAda-mEddu " (a narrow but precipitous

>ravine where " prahlAda " , it is believed, was tossed to his death by his

>father, " hiranyakassipu " ) he would be gasping for breath. When he ascends

>another few hundred feet southerly and crawls his way over the

> " ugra-sthamba " (a rocky promontory where the " pillar " from which Lord

>Nrsimhan, it is believed, emerged to slay the " rAkshasA " ), and tip-toes

>across a ledge through a small water-fall to reach the shrine of

> " jwAlA-nrsimhan " , he would really be panting like a marathon-runner running

>out of steam. At the end of a gruelling 4-hour trek a pilgrim would in, all

>likelihood, be too exhausted to make further effort in reaching the

>'pAvana-nrsimha' shrine.

>

>The hills of Ahobilam are verdant and breathtaking no doubt but they are

>also extremely craggy. It is believed that none but whom the Lord Himself

>wishes to grant audience will really be able to make the arduous trek to all

>the 9 shrines. In the famous " pAsuram-s " sung by Tirumangai-AzhwAr, in three

>specific verses ( " yEndha pEzh vaai… " , " evvam vevvEl… " and " menra pEzh

>vaai… " ) in praise of Nrsimhan, he clearly states that the shrines at

>Ahobilam are not at all easy of access to those on whom the Lord has not

>showered His Grace ( " mAlOla-katAksham " ).

>

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