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 |
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]
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]