Ahobilam is a town and holy site in the Allagadda mandal of Nandyal district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.[1] It is surrounded by picturesque hills of the Eastern Ghats with several mountain hills and gorges. It is the centre of worship of Narasimha, the lion-headed avatar of Vishnu, to whom the nine Hindu temples and other shrines all dedicated. The main village and a temple complex are at Lower Ahobilam. Upper Ahobilam, about 8 kilometres to the east, has more temples in a steep gorge.[2]
Ahobilam
1st Nava Narasimha Temple | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Upper Ahobilam temple Gopuram | |
.svg)  Ahobilam Location in Andhra Pradesh, India | |
| Coordinates: 15°08′00″N 78°43′00″E / 15.1333°N 78.7167°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Andhra Pradesh |
| District | Nandyal |
| Elevation | 327 m (1,073 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 3,732 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Telugu |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | AP |
| Website | http://ahobilamtemple.com |
The main Narashima Swamy temples at each site were built by Reddi kingdom (12th and 13th centuries) and expanded by the emperors of Vijayanagara in the 15th and 16th centuries, then sacked by the Mughals in 1578, then restored and expanded at various times, up to the present day. As they stand, they are a mixture of work from all these periods. The Vijayanagara kings and Reddi's are committed devotees of Sri LakshmiNarasimha Swamy. [3]
Geography
editAhobilam is located at 15°08′00″N 78°43′00″E / 15.1333°N 78.7167°E.[4] It is located in Nallamala Forest, along the Eastern Ghats.[5]
Notes
edit- ^ "Book on Ahobilam temple released". The Hindu. 6 March 2019. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ Michell, 330
- ^ Michell, 330
- ^ "redirect to /world/IN/02/Pedda_Ahobilam.html". fallingrain.com.
- ^ KUMAR, R. SANDEEP (9 September 2018). "Ahobilam: A journey into spirituality". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
References
edit
- Blurton, T. Richard, Hindu Art, 1994, British Museum Press, ISBN 0 7141 1442 1
- Michell, George (1990), The Penguin Guide to the Monuments of India, Volume 1: Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, 1990, Penguin Books, ISBN 0140081445