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| Narasimhaswamy Temple | |
|---|---|
 Image of the temple entrance with Namakkal Fort in the background | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Namakkal |
| Deity | Narasimhaswamy (Vishnu) Namagiri Tayar (Lakshmi) |
| Location | |
| Location | Namakkal |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  Location in Tamil Nadu | |
| Geographic coordinates | 11°13′20″N 78°09′51″E / 11.22222°N 78.16417°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian, rock-cut architecture |
The Narasimhaswamy temple in Namakkal, a town in Namakkal district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Narasimha (Acham theertha Piran in Tamil), an avatar of Vishnu. The temple is one of the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams of Vaishnavate tradition. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture and Rock-cut architecture, the temple is located in the Salem–Namakkal–Trichy Road. The legend of the temple is associated with Narasimha, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu appearing for Lakshmi, his consort, and Hanuman. Based on the architectural features, historians believe that the temple was built during the 6th century by the Adiyamans[1] also called Satyaputras as evident from the inscription mentioning the temple as 'Adiyendra Vishnu Gruham' or 'The house of Vishnu of the Adiyaman kings'.[2][3]
The temple has a pillared hall leading to the sanctum, which has rock-cut architecture. The sanctum sanctorum is rock-cut and square in shape with a black background. The sanctum has three sculpted cells, two pillars and a verandah in front of it. The central sanctum sanctorum niche houses the image of Narasimha in sitting posture, called Asana murti. The temple complex houses two other sanctums. These sanctums house Namagiri Tayar and Lakshmi Narayana. There is a separate shrine for the goddess Namagiri Mahalakshmi, who is also referred to as Namagiri Tayar.
The temple is open from 7:00 am – 1:00 pm and 4:30 - 8:00 pm. Four daily rituals and many yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which fifteen-day Panguni Uthiram festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Panguni (March - April) when the image of presiding deities are taken around the streets of the temple, being the most prominent. The annual car festival for the Narasimhaswamy temple is celebrated in March and April every year (The Tamil month of Panguni) as per the vaikhānasāgama.
The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
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- ^ https://www.tnarch.gov.in/Library%20BOOk%20PDF/NAMAKKAL%20CAVES.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
jstorwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Rajan, V. G. (19 February 1999). "Nr̥siṁha Cave Temple at Nāmakkal: Its Iconographical Significance". East and West. 49 (1/4): 189–194. JSTOR 29757426.