Akshaya Thrithiyai - spl. to Varaha Narasimha (Simhachalam)

[Guest guest]

Mythology has it that it was from the Simhachalam(Vizag) hilltop,

Prahlada was thrown off by Hiranyakasipu's men and when Vishnu saved

him, the Rishis requested the Lord to reveal the form that was to

kill Hiranyakashipu. The Lord in all His compassion, revealed the

form that killed Hiranyaksha(Varaha) and the form that was to kill

Hiranyakashipu(Narasimha) and so the deity is a combination - Varaha

Narasimha. A statue was erected in that place and worshipped.

 

As time rolled by, the statue, bereft of attention got covered by mud

and leaves. A king who came that way, chanced upon the statue and

while he was about to dust the statue, there was an oracle that told

him to build a temple for the Lord there, keep the statue covered

with Sandal paste throughout the year and on the day the idol had

been discovered(which happened to be Akshaya Thrithiyai day), remove

the sandal paste and reveal the original statue.

 

And so, till date, the real form is revealed only on Akshaya

Thrithiyai day and the entire Vizag city experiences a sudden rise

of temperature on that day.

Obviously, isn't Narasimhan saulabhyamana ugram ! - couldn't

resist this comment. Do you all know why God took on the half lion

form ? It seems Prahlada in reply to a question during his early

years of childhood had said that his favourite animal was the lion.

In order to ensure that this was also complied with, God took on the

form of a lion man. See His saulabhyam!)

 

I happened to be on an official tour to Vizag three years back and

that was about the time we had just met Baba as a person. He advised

me to visit the Simhachalam temple. Wow! It is really wonderful. The

whole atmosphere is filled with the presence of Varaha Narasimha and

you get the feeling that you are hugging the lionboar!!

 

That's what we are doing everyday, right ...

 

Kai koduppaye Shankara Simha!

 

Love

NCS