subject: Simachalam- A Symbol Of Prosperity! [print this page] Identified also as Simhagiri, the popular temple Simhachalam is a significant Sri Varaha Lakshminarasimha Temples positioned in the Southern part of India. Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy is the leading deity of this beautiful 11th century place of worship.
After the well known temple Tirupati, Simhachalam is recognized as one of the wealthiest temples in India. Each year it is estimated that the temple generates revenue of approximately 520 million rupees.
The nijaroopa darshan or the sacred appearance in its factual form can be witnessed here for a time period of just 12 hours each year. During the remaining 12 hours and rest of the 364 days the lord is kept enclosed with sandalwood paste.
Unlike most other temples that face the east, the unique Simhachalam temple faces the west side. According to religious beliefs, it is said that a temple facing east brings prosperity while a temple with an entrance towards the west brings victory.
Simhachalam is also a historically significant place of worship. Traces of its inception dates back to as far as the early 1908 AD during the reign of the Chola king Kuloththunga. Other evidence that reveal the temples long existence include the inscription exposing a queen belonging to the Velavadu chief Gonga who is covering the picture with the use of gold. There is also another inscription that reveals that the central shrine was created by the eastern Ganga King Narasimha in 1267 A.D. It is recorded that there are over 250 inscriptions revealing the past of this great historic temple.
Simhachalam is positioned more than 700 kilometers away from Hyderabad and the closest airport is located at Visakhapatnam about 16 kilometers away. It is convenient to get around the area with the use of busses and trains. Meanwhile, out of the many well serviced Visakhapatnam hotels in the area, the Gateway Hotel Beach Road Visakhapatnam is known to offer easy access to the temple and many other interesting attractions in the vicinity.
