Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Simhachalam

సింహాచలం శ్రీ వరాహ లక్ష్మీనరసింహ స్వామి ఆలయం

Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha · with Lakshmi

A single image combining Varaha and Narasimha, kept under sandalwood paste

Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh · Vaishnava tradition

Read the story
Directions

At the gate

Getting there
Train: Visakhapatnam or Simhachalam stationAir: Visakhapatnam airport

Not yet confirmed: darshan hours, dress code, phone rules, entry for visitors of other faiths, walking distance. Ask at the temple office or enquiry counter — and if you know, tell us. hello@aalayakatha.com

Full visiting details

Sthala purana

The story of this place

Told in: The temple's sthala purana

Prahlada and the hill of the lion

The frame is the Narasimha story: Hiranyakashipu persecutes his son Prahlada for his devotion to Vishnu, and Vishnu appears as Narasimha to protect him. Simhachalam's tradition places Prahlada on this hill and explains the unusual image — Varaha and Narasimha in one form — from that episode. The specific sequence of the local account, and the text it comes from, are not yet told here.

Where this account comes from

We have not yet found a text we can cite for this account. It is told here as it is told locally, and marked unverified.

In one minute

Why Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Simhachalam matters

Each line says who it comes from and how settled it is. What the labels mean

  1. The image is kept covered in sandalwood paste through the year and shown uncovered — its nija rupa — only at the Chandanotsavam.

  2. The deity combines Varaha and Narasimha, two avatars of Vishnu, in a single image.

  3. Temple tradition connects the hill to Prahlada, for whom Narasimha appeared.

Shilpa

When you visit, look for…

Kalinga

Commonly described as Kalinga-influenced, with inscriptions of the Eastern Ganga period; no ASI or academic study confirming this has been found yet.

We have not yet sourced a description of the building — what to look for and where to stand. Until we can cite one, this stays empty rather than guessed.

Yatra

Plan your visit

Darshan times

We could not confirm the opening times from the temple’s own notice, so we are not printing any. Please check with the temple office or the devasthanam before you travel.

Before you go

  • No dress code or entry rules have been confirmed for this temple yet. Traditional, modest clothing is always the safe choice; ask at the entrance.

Walking, steps and access

We have not yet confirmed how much walking or climbing is involved, or whether there is wheelchair access. If you are travelling with elders, ask at the temple office or the devasthanam enquiry counter before you set out.

Getting there

  • By air: Visakhapatnam airportFrom common knowledge; not yet confirmed from an official source.
  • By train: Visakhapatnam or Simhachalam stationFrom common knowledge; not yet confirmed from an official source.
  • By road: Visakhapatnam city, by the ghat road up the hillFrom common knowledge; not yet confirmed from an official source.

Routes are general guidance and not yet checked against an official source.

PIN 530028 (not yet checked with India Post)

The order of darshan

No published source gives the order in which to visit the shrines here, so we have not invented one. Follow the queue and the temple staff.

Festivals

  • ChandanotsavamChandana Yatra

    Apr–May · Vaisakha, Shukla paksha, Tritiya · 1 day

    On Akshaya Tritiya the sandalwood covering is removed and the image is shown in its natural form for the day, then covered again.

Itihasa

Through time

Two registers, kept apart on purpose: what the Puranas tell, and what the historical record shows. They answer different questions and we do not force them to agree.

In the Puranas and tradition

  1. Narasimha and Prahlada

    The temple's origin story, set in the Narasimha avatar. We have not yet found a written source for it.

In the historical record

  1. Eastern Ganga–period inscriptions

    The temple carries medieval inscriptions associated with Eastern Ganga patronage. Dates and corpus references await sourcing.

Around here

Worth the detour

  • Beach

    Visakhapatnam beaches (RK Beach)

    The city's seafront below the hill.

  • Viewpoint

    Kailasagiri

    Hilltop park in Visakhapatnam overlooking the coast.

Sources

Where this page comes from

    Cite this page

    Aalaya Katha Foundation, “Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Simhachalam”, Aalaya Katha, version last reviewed 2026-10-09. https://www.aalayakatha.com/temple/simhachalam-varaha-narasimha (accessed ).

    Last reviewed 2026-10-09. How we label sources and confidence