Simhachalam Temple History

Simhachalam (the lion hill), which rises to about 800 feet about the sea, stands just north of Visakhapatnam. Near the top of the north side of it, in a wooded hollow surrounded by a wide circle of higher ground, is the temple to Narasimha, the man-lion incarnation of Vishnu, which gives the hill its name. This is the most famous, richest, and best sculptured shrine in Viskhapatnam, and in its honour number or the people of the district are named Simhachalam, Simhadri, Narasimha and so on. From the hollow in which is stands,a deep glen, watered by a rivulet and clothed with many trees in striking contrast to the bare flanks of the rest of the hill, runs down to the foot of the northern slope, where, about ten miles be road from Visakhakpatnam, is a rose-garden which is traditionally declared to have been planted by the well-known Sitarama Raju of Vijayanagaram and is watered from the rivulet.

The Rajas of Vijayanagaramhave been wardens of the shrine for over two centuries and have endowed it with land of 11,000 acres for its maintenance. The way up to the temple runs along the glen from near the rose-garden, through terraced fields of pineapples dotted with mango, jack and other trees. It passes up a broad flight of well kept stone steps, over a thousand in number, on either side of which trees have been planted to give shade and a rill runs in a stone channel to refresh weary pilgrims. At frequent intervals are images of the various. Hindu gods in little niches, and on festival days the steps are lighted from top to bottom, the steps eventually reach the narrow mount of the glen, and here the path is barred by a bold portal called   Hanuman's gate, by the side of which the rivulet which passes down the glen is led in to two pools where pilgrims bathe before they continue the ascent. This gate was apparently part of the fortifications which on former days guarded the temple and other remains of  which may be traced on the high ground surrounding it. Tradition says that these included as many as 24 bastions. Passing through Hanuman's gate, the pilgrim traverses a narrow part of the glen where the rivulet is led through pipes and channels over several artificial cascades surrounded by more sculptures of the gods, and at length reaches the amphitheater in which, on a terrace partly cut of the hill-side, stands the temple itself.

Charitable Activities:

• Sanskrit High School, Simhachalam
• S.B.House, Vizianagaram
• Aagam Patasala, Simhachalam.