On Pilgrimage

The Lord of the Lion Hill

A visit to the south Indian shrine of Siṁhācalam.

By Bhakti Vikāśa Swami

SIṀHĀCALAM, in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, is a place of scenic beauty, set as it is among the green hills overlooking Visakhapatnam and the sea. Yet people don’t come merely for the scenic beauty; they come to visit the Siṁhācalam temple.

Over the course of years, many old temples in south India have fallen into decline, but this one hasn’t, largely because of the growth of nearby Visakhapatnam, which has become a major city, with a population of over one million. The city serves as a natural reservoir of visitors. Many pilgrims also come from Orissa, the next state north.

Previously, up to the time of King Prataparudra, in the sixteenth century, this part of Andhra Pradesh was ruled from Orissa. And especially in the southernmost district of Orissa, Ganjam district, many, many people worship Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Lord Kṛṣṅa in His form as half lion, half man. The Siṁhācalam temple, dedicated to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, is the Nṛsiṁha temple nearest Ganjam, so throughout the year many pilgrims come from Ganjam, and especially on Candana-yātrā.

Candana-yātrā is the day the Lord gives darśana—that is, when His form is visible to devotees. Otherwise He appears like a Śiva-liṅga covered with sandalwood pulp (candana). Throughout the year people come and take darśana of Him like this, in His nitya rūpa, the constant form that you see, the form covered in candana. The nija rūpa, His actual form, is revealed only on the day of Candana-yātrā, when the priests break the candana covering and then again put the candana back. On Candana-yātrā, thousands and thousands of people come from south Orissa especially, and also from Andhra Pradesh, and completely crowd out the whole area to take darśana of the Lord in this form.

The approach up the hill to the temple has about one thousand steps, and climbing them gives a great sense of achievement. Now, like many temples, Siṁhācalam has a bus service going up, which is convenient and much easier on the legs, but the real die-hard pilgrims still climb step by step by step, and their sense of meeting the Lord is heightened by the difficulty they go through to reach Him. Previously, of course, pilgrims would walk for seven days or two weeks or whatever to reach a holy place, and that walking would heighten their mood even more.

We have come on a Saturday, it’s the full-moon day, and it’s during the summer holidays, so there is a big crowd, with thousands of people coming and going. Traditionally in Andhra Pradesh, Monday is the day for visiting Śiva temples and Saturday any other temple. Those who are not vegetarian observe vegetarianism on this day and visit temples, so we have a big crowd here.

Another time I came on a quiet day, at eight o’clock, just when the temple opened, and I stayed as long as I liked without disturbance, but today because of so much rush there’s a different kind of atmosphere.

Everything is well organized for taking darśana, getting on buses, and so on, but with only three buses going up and down the hill, on a big day like this it’s a bit of a strain on the transport system, and there’s a lot of hurry-scurry. The bus winds its way up and down the ghats, past signs in Telugu and Oriya, and a few in Hindi also. Hairpin bends. Sheer drops. It’s quite exciting.

On the Hill

As you reach the top of the hill, the bus stops, and you’re welcomed by the sound of Viṣṅu-sahaśranāma, one thousand names of Lord Viṣṅu, played over loudspeakers from the well-known cassette by Laksmi Subhramanyam.

You see plenty of people walking around with their cloth wet, as it’s a tradition in these holy places to bathe in a nearby sacred lake before taking darśana.

Another part of the traditional vow is to get your head shaved before taking the bath. Here in south India, particularly Andhra, this is common not only for men and children but even for women.

The priests of the Siṁhācalam temple belong to the Śrī Sampradāya, the line that follows the revered devotee and philosopher Rāmānuja. Siṁhācalam is one of the 108 places recognized by the Śrī Sampradāya as divya-deśams, spiritual places in this material world. The temple functions are performed by Śrī Vaiṣṅava priests as they have been since Rāmānuja visited here nine centuries ago. Most of the temples of the Śrī Sampradāya are connected with at least one of the Ālvārs, the great teachers previous to Rāmānuja. This one is connected with Nāma Ālvār, who has written songs in praise of the Siṁhācalam Deity.

Lining the steps to the entrance of the temple (and also the steps up the hill), there’s the usual line of beggars collecting rice, and women offering coins. Following custom, you give one rupee (100 paisa) and they give you 90 paisa in small coins back. The coins you give to the beggars at the different shrines, a little bit here and a little bit there, because at holy places you are supposed to give charity.

There are, of course, fruit sellers, flower sellers, sellers of coconuts to offer to the Deities, and sellers of books and cassettes, connected with the holy place. There are also sadhus, with different kinds of tilaka and dress, adding to the color. It’s a small world in itself.

Approaching the Lord

At the main entrance of the temple you see commemorative footprints of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu installed in 1930 by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Mahārāja, Śrīla Prabhupāda's spiritual master, who installed Lord Caitanya’s footprints in many places Lord Caitanya visited throughout India.

As soon as you enter the temple, you’re hit by the smell of coconut and camphor. Thousands of people come every day, and they each bring a coconut, which is ceremonially broken to the chanting of mantras, and then a camphor light is burned, so the smell permeates the temple.

When you walk in, the temple is dark. If lighting is used, it’s used sparingly, to retain that dark atmosphere. And you go through long passages with carvings on the walls and little chapels with deities of Ālvārs and different forms of Lakṣmī, the consort of Lord Viṣṅu. The Śrī Sampradāya comes originally from Lakṣmī, so its devotees prominently worship different forms of Lakṣmī. Then eventually you come to the sanctum sanctorum and hear the mantras being chanted, creating a very special atmosphere.

The idea of bhakti, devoting oneself to God, is a central part of Indian culture, but although pure bhakti is praised in song and literature, not everyone comes to the temple out of pure devotion. Their devotion is mixed. Most people come to worship with the idea of being rewarded with material boons.

This particular temple is famous for giving childless mothers the boon of children. Just outside the Deity room stands a pillar—decorated with cloth and surrounded by silver plates and flower garlands—that women are supposed to embrace, saying certain prayers and performing worship, to ask the Lord to grant that desire. And in general people come praying for money, family happiness, and removal of difficulties in material life.

But although that’s still a long way from pure devotional service, it’s far better than being a gross materialist with no religious idea at all. And some devotees, of course, come with only pure devotion in mind.

In various areas of the temple you’ll find brāhmaṅas engaged in pūjā or studying Sanskrit books and reciting Sanskrit texts. Other brāhmaṅas have duties such as cleaning the temple, carrying vegetables for the Deity, carrying firewood for cooking, carrying the Lord in procession—so many different functions. Traditionally these duties are done generation after generation by the same families, who live just outside the temple precincts.

Going for darśana is a big rush. One man is assigned to push everyone along in line. And right in front of the Deities there are four or five men pushing and hoarsely urging everyone to move on. Still, being fond of ISKCON devotees, they allow me to stand to the side of the railings and offer my prayers in peace.

In the sanctum sanctorum the repeated chant of Oṁ Namo Nārāyaṅa, the chant of the Śrī Sampradāya, plays over loudspeakers. Despite all the push and shove, it is exhilarating to be at this unique temple of Lakṣmī Varāha-Nṛsiṁha Svāmī, a form of the Lord not found anywhere else.

Bhakti Vikāśa Swami comes from England but has lived in India for many years. He now teaches Kṛṣṅa consciousness at the ISKCON center in Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat.

Lord Caitanya’s Stay At Siṁhācalam

LORD CAITANYA Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṅa Himself in the role of a devotee of Kṛṣṅa, visited Siṁhācalam about five centuries ago, during His tour of south India. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 8.3–8) records His visit this way:

“According to His previous program, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went forward on His tour and after some days arrived at the place of pilgrimage known as Jiyaḍa-nṛsiṁha [Siṁhācalam].

“After seeing the Deity Lord Nṛsiṁha in the temple, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered respectful obeisances by falling flat. Then, in ecstatic love, He performed various dances, chanted, and offered prayers.

śrī-nṛsiṁha, jaya nṛsiṁha, jaya jaya nṛsiṁha prahlādeśa jaya padmā-mukha-padma-bhṛṅga

“ ’All glories to Nṛsiṁhadeva! All glories to Nṛsiṁhadeva, who is the Lord of Prahlāda Mahārāja and, like the honeybee, is always engaged in beholding the lotuslike face of the goddess of fortune.’

ugro ’py anugra evāyam sva-bhaktānāṁ nṛ-keśarī keśarīva sva-potānām anyeṣām ugra-vikramaḥ

“ ’Although very ferocious, the lioness is very kind to her cubs. Similarly, although very ferocious to nondevotees like Hiraṅyakaśipu, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is very, very soft and kind to devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja.’

“In this way Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited different verses from the śāstra [scripture]. The priest of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva then brought garlands and the remnants of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s food and offered them to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

“As usual, a brāhmaṅa offered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu an invitation [to visit and accept lunch at his home]. The Lord passed the night in the temple and then commenced His tour again.”

Festivals at Siṁhācalam

THE DEVOTEES at the Siṁhācalam temple celebrate various festivals in honor of the Lord. Minor festivals are celebrated weekly or monthly, and several major festivals yearly. Some of these festivals derive from scripture, and others have been established by custom.

The most important among the annual festivals are the Kalyānotsava and Candanotsava. These are authorized by scripture and observed on a grand scale.

The Kalyānotsava celebrates the marriage of the Lord to His eternal consort Lakṣmī, so it closely resembles what you’ll see in a Hindu wedding festival. It begins on the eleventh day (Ekādaśī) in the first half of the lunar month of Chaitrā (corresponding to the month of March), and it extends for five days, through Pūrṅimā, the day of the full moon. During this time, all sorts of special rituals, processions, and festive events are observed.

The largest festival is Candana-yātrā, which takes place on Akśaya-tṛtiyā, the third day of the first half of the month of Vaiśākhā (April–May). On this day, early in the morning, the Deity is divested of His sandalwood covering, and devotees have the opportunity to see His underlying form. The Deity is ceremonially bathed, and in the evening again covered with sandalwood. Pilgrims journey from various parts of India to be present in Siṁhācalam on this day.

Eleven days later, the temple celebrates Nṛsiṁha Jayantī, the appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva.

A Statesman, Scholar, and Saint

AMONG THE SAINTS who figure in the history of Siṁhācalam, one who stands out is Narahari Tīrtha, a spiritual master in the line from which the present Hare Kṛṣṅa movement descends. Inscriptions at the temple tell us he was active at Siṁhācalam at the end of the thirteenth century and the start of the fourteenth.

Narahari Tīrtha was a statesman, scholar, and saint. Inscriptions at the temple of Śrī Kūrma, north of Siṁhācalam, tell us he was born in a family that served as righteous ministers to kings. We learn that he served as a minister to Bhanudeva I (1264–1278) and Narasimha II (1278–1305), kings of the Ganga dynasty who ruled the old realm of Kalinga. In those days, Kalinga stretched from the river Mahanadi, in present-day Orissa, to the river Godavari, in what is now Andhra Pradesh. It is while serving as minister, perhaps, that he saved the country from an invasion by the Sabaras, barbarians, as reported in an inscription from 1281.

The Madhva Vijaya Kavya, a biography of the great teacher Madhva, tells us this: While Madhva was touring India to spread his teachings, he passed through Kalinga. There he converted two great scholars—Sobhana Bhatt (Padmanābha Tīrtha) and Shama Sastri (Narahari Tīrtha). These two scholars served in turn as Madhva’s successors at his headquarters, Udupi, now in the southwest Indian state of Karnataka. Scholars say that Narahari Tīrtha took charge in Udupi in 1324. He passed away seven years later.

After meeting Madhva and before going to Udupi, Narahari Tīrtha stayed in Kalinga (one source says for twelve years), and with his help the temples of Śrī Kūrma and Siṁhācalam flourished. Through his connections in the royal court, he was able to persuade kings and princes to donate land to the temples. He spread bhakti, devotional service, throughout the kingdom.

At Siṁhācalam, Narahari Tīrtha was followed by Madhvaite saints who looked after the temple until the end of the fourteenth century, when that duty passed to the Śrī Vaiṣṅavas, the followers of the great teacher Rāmānuja. Since then, the Śrī Vaiṣṅavas have guided the spiritual affairs of the temple, and they do so even today.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's Visit to Siṁhācalam

ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA came to Siṁhācalam with his disciples in February of 1972. His biography, Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, tells of this visit.

“Śrīla Prabhupāda chose to approach the temple by car, riding up the winding road past orchards of mango, jackfruits, and cashew, and fields of pineapple. On arriving at the temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda and his disciples met one of the temple brāhmaṅas, who showed them around the grounds.… “When Śrīla Prabhupāda came upon an immense banyan tree at the lower end of the temple grounds, he said that the tree must be thousands of years old. As he stood beneath the tree, his servant, Nanda-kumāra, handed him a small champaka flower.

“Extending his thumb and forefinger from his bead bag, Prabhupāda held the champaka flower and looked fondly at it. ’This flower,’ he said, ’is the color of Lord Caitanya. And this flower is the most loved all over India. This flower is beautiful to look at and beautiful to smell.’ He carried the small saffron-gold flower between his fingers the rest of the morning.

“When Prabhupāda and his group entered the inner sanctum, [the Deity was] entirely covered with ground sandalwood pulp mixed with camphor and other scents. Therefore, the Deity now appeared to be only a lump covered with a layer of sandalwood. Prabhupāda commented that the sandalwood was to keep the Deity ’cool-headed.’

“Mādhavānanda [one of Prabhupāda's disciples]: When Prabhupāda was at the Nṛsiṁha temple, … he was very grave. We went into the temple, and there was a chamber. Then we went down. The walls were four feet thick, and it seemed like hundreds of feet of tunnels before we got into the inner sanctum.… As soon as we entered, Prabhupāda said, ’Begin chanting the Nṛsiṁha mantra.’ So we started singing … and we circumambulated the Deity. Then we stood before the Deity, and Prabhupāda offered obeisances.

“Gurukṛpā: He always manifested such devotion. That was what separated him from us—not only his vast learning or his great knowledge but his devotion. In these places we would see him become very silent, very grave, and when he would speak, such peace would fill us from within. When he would speak, you could feel it. He was constantly convincing us of Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Not purposely, but he was just being himself. In these places it would come out.

“When Prabhupāda stood with us before the Deity, … it was a very devotional time. Prabhupāda didn’t say much, and the main reason was that these places are appreciated according to one’s spiritual advancement. The details and facts and the history are not really that important. There is nothing really to say. Prabhupāda would just make sure we had the proper respect and didn’t commit any offense.”

The History of the Deity

SIṀHA MEANS “lion,” and acalam means “hill.” So this is the lion’s hill, the hill of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. The Deity here, Varāha Nṛsiṁha Svāmī, is popularly known in Sanskrit as Siṁhādrinātha or in the Telugu language as Simhadri Appanna (“the Lord of the Lion Hill”).

Beneath the layers of sandalwood pulp that cover Him all but one day a year, the Deity stands 2-1/2 feet high in a threefold-bending posture, with two hands, the head of a boar, and the tail of a lion, on a human torso.

This unique form, not mentioned in the Vedic scriptures, is described in the Sthala Māhātmya or Sthala Purāṅa, an old Sanskrit work describing the history of the place. (Many south Indian shrines have their own Sthala Purāṅas that describe them. Ānandamaya Dāsa, a devotee who sometimes traveled in south India with Śrīla Prabhupāda, tells us that Prabhupāda did not dispute the authenticity of such works, though he seemed to accord them less importance than the scriptures of the standard Vedic canon.)

The Sthala Purāṅa of Siṁhācalam recounts the history of the great devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja and his demonic father, Hiraṅyakaśipu. Hiraṅyakaśipu’s brother, Hiraṅyākṣa, had been killed by Lord Kṛṣṅa in the form of Varāha, the divine boar. But Prahlāda, as a young child, became a Kṛṣṅa conscious devotee, so his father ordered him tortured and killed. Yet Kṛṣṅa always protected Prahlāda, and all attempts to harm the child failed.

This account we also find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but the Sthala Purāṅa has more to say.

As a last resort, Hiraṅyakaśipu told his servants to hurl Prahlāda into the sea and place a huge mountain over him. The servants chose to do this at Siṁhācalam. But before they could finish, Nārāyaṅa (Kṛṣṅa) rescued Prahlāda by jumping over the hill and lifting him from the sea. Siṁhācalam, therefore, is the place where the Lord rescued Prahlāda.

At Prahlāda’s request, the Lord then assumed the form of the Varāha-Nṛsiṁha Deity, so that Prahlāda could see both aspects of the Lord—the one by which He had already killed Hiraṅyākṣa and the one by which He would soon kill Hiraṅyakaśipu.

After the death of Hiraṅyakaśipu, Prahlāda built a temple around the Deity. But after thousands of years, at the end of that ancient age, Satya-yuga, the temple was neglected, and earth slowly gathered around the Deity. But at the beginning of another yuga the Deity was rediscovered by Pururava, the king of the lunar dynasty, who is mentioned in the Ninth Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Riding with his wife, Urvaśī, in an aerial chariot over the hills of the South, Pururava was drawn by a mysterious power to Siṁhācalam. There he discovered the Deity and cleared away the earth around Him. Pururava then heard a voice from the sky which told him to cover the Deity with sandal paste, worship the Lord in this form, and expose Him only once a year, on the day of Candana-yātrā. Following this instruction, Pururava covered the Deity with an amount of sandal pulp equal to the earth he had removed, worshiped the Deity, and rebuilt the temple, which has flourished ever since.

(For the information in this section, and the information elsewhere in this article, we are indebted to the book The Simhachalam Temple, by Dr. K. Sundaram, published by the Simhachalam Devasthanam.)

The Priests of Siṁhācalam

FORTY MALE brāhmaṅas reside at Siṁhācalam. Fifteen of them directly serve the Deity. Others cook, study the Vedas and the Purāṅas, and perform marriages and special functions. The brāhmaṅas are supported by endowments, some of which have been in place for centuries.

Since the eleventh century, it has been a daily practice in the Viṣṅu temples of Andhra Pradesh for appointed brāhmaṅas to recite the Divya-prabandha, the songs sung by the twelve Ālvārs in praise of the pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu. This still goes on at Siṁhācalam. Several expert brāhmaṅas also recite the Vedas daily, a practice believed to have been going on since the temple was founded. Several more brāhmaṅas read chapters every morning from the Rāmāyaṅa, the Mahābhārata, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And during a part of the daily worship, brāhmaṅas chant the Vedic Puruṣa-sūkta prayers and the Viṣṅu-sahaśra-nāma (one thousand names of Lord Viṣṅu).

The system of worship in the temple is believed to have been established by Rāmānuja. The worship begins at 5:30 A.M. For about half an hour, priests chant verses, and a shenai band plays to gradually awaken the Lord. The brāhmaṅas serve the Lord in various ways throughout the day, till it’s time for Him to rest at night.

The brāhmaṅas at Siṁhācalam generally come from families that have performed the same service to the Deity for many generations. The temple runs a school in Adivivaram, at the base of the hill, to train young men for service at the temple. By training and maintaining brāhmaṅas, the temple management hopes to keep Siṁhācalam a center of brahminical culture.

How To Get There, Where To Stay

SIṀHĀCALAM lies only ten miles north of Visakhapatnam, a major city on the east coast of India in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam is readily accessible from all major cities of India by train and plane. Adivivaram, the village at the foot of the hill, lies 2½ miles from the Siṁhācalam Railway Station on the South Eastern Railway line. Accommodations are available at Siṁhācalam on the hill, where you can rent a room in the choultri, or guesthouse. As this article was being prepared, a new guesthouse was under construction.