Route: Vizag (MVP colony )--- Simhachalam
Vehicle: Honda Activa
Trip members :2
Temple timings: 7am-4pm & 6pm -9pm
Date of travel: 8th June 2016 (Wednesday)
Vicinity of Simhachalam
: Main diety,Rathamandapa,
gayathri peetam,kapasthambam.
Actual Journey started
from Hyderabad to Vizag!!!!!
On 7th
June 2016 we started from Hyderabad to vizag by Visakha Express.As my friend
was master in Tatkal booking getting tickets were not a big deal.We reached
vizag on 8th June morning 7:15 am.
Trip plan !!!!!!
Day 1 :- Visit to
simhachalam
Day 2 :- Visit to
srikakulam (Arsavelli, Srikurmam, Srimukha lingam, Tekali Ravivalasa siva
temple )
Day 3 :- Vizag local
(kailash giri,zoo,Rkbeach,Kalimatha Temple,Kusuro Submarine,Victory against sea
stupa)
Day 4 :- Travel to
Kaikaluru and night back to Hyderabad.
Good part of our journey
was we were stick to our plan .Its really a big deal.
Good Morning Vizag!!!!!
I reached my hostel at
MVP colony and was ready for my work at Andhra University by 10:00 AM. After
finishing with my work we started towards Simhachalam in our Honda Activa.
Distance to Simhachalam from my hostel is about 17 kilometers. The roads are pretty
well maintained here in Vizag.
Simhachalam !!!!!
Simhachalam (Simha-Lion,
as the temple is located on a hill hence called as Simhachalam)!!!Simhachalam
is very famous pilgrimage in Vizag, which is located at about 244 meters from
sea level. The climate was awesome and we were expecting rains because of heavy
cloud cover. The route from MVP colony is to cross Vizag medical institute of
sciences and stretch of hospitals that fall in this route, meanwhile enroute we
come across Vizag Central jail. After travelling to about 15 Kilometers we come
at the foot hill of Simhachalam ghat road, where an arch way welcomes us for
the darshan of Lord. Right at the entrance of the arch way we have toll gate
& on your right you will find Simhachalam bus stop.
Ghat Road !!!!!
 |
| steps route |
There are two routes
here: One for Buses, Cars & Two-wheelers & the other is for the
devotees who walk the hill. We took an entrance ticket/parking ticket whatever
you call it for Rs.10/- at the toll gate and started our journey to the top of
the hill on our two wheeler. The forest area or you can say the green carpet
starts from here. We really enjoyed the monsoon breeze; it was slightly
drizzling as well. We see about five archways before we reach the top of
the hill.
Before entering into temple we have to deposit our mobile phones &
cameras in a counter which is maintained by the temple administration. I
found here that the valuables (mobile phones & cameras) and footwear
counter were located side by side.
Blissful Darshan !!!!!
The presiding deity of
Simhachalam is Lord Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, third incarnation of lord
Vishnu in Dasavatharam. The Deity is in “tribhangi” posture, with two hands
& the head of a pig on a human torso. The lord killed hiranyakasupu in 32 forms. This temple is the 2nd largest
revenue generating after Tirupati.once the lord here was big land lord but has
not been able to save himself from the rapacity of modern land sharks.
The inscriptions dated back to 1098-99 AD in Telugu and Oriya describe the antecedents of
the temple. Sri Krishna Deva Raya visited the shrine twice in 1516 and 1519 and
offered numerous valuable jewellery, of which an emerald necklace is still in
the temple. The temple is surrounded
by green forest, which fascinates its charm, glory and tranquil ambience. It is
thickly covered with medicinal herbs, cashew trees, jackfruit trees, mango
trees etc. The consecration of this incarnation of lord is said to destroy enemies,
secure success in all battles, cure all ailments and procure every good.
Mean while drizzling
started and in no time it was raining heavily, the climate was awesome
. Due to the break time devotees were heavily gathered for darshan. somehow
we managed to go inside queue line, where the shed was covered with palm
leaves and it was protecting us from heavy rain. We entered into queue line of
20 rupees and opted for 100 rupees ticket and finally entered into temple. No
words to describe the beauty of temple and carvings on walls of main temple in
rain. Simply I can say stupendous!!!!!
Here if you pay 200
rupees you can have antharalaya darshan i.e darshan in inner sanctum sanctorum.
We entered into temple and had darshan of the lord and while we were inside the
temple, the carvings on black granite pillars were superb. I was disapointed
with the temple authorities every moment for not allowing the camera to capture
these beautiful carvings.
 |
| Musical pillars and each pillar is uniquely carved |
Kapasthambham!!!!!
While coming out of main
sanctum, on your right hand side you will see a Kapasthambham.where Kapam means
offerings to god in cash or kind of in order to get ones wish fulfilled. Sthala
purana says they have installed “Santhana gopala Yantram” under the pillar. Any
childless couple who wish for children will be fulfilled by embracing the
pillar. Usually devotees hug the pillar and plead their desires to lord. Temple
authorities usually charge 25 rupees to hug the pillar, as it was raining
heavily there were no one to collect the amount. We sat in the temple premises
for about half an hour and later moved on to the other side of the temple
hoping that the rain would stop, but it was not the case.so we sat again at
sandal extraction stones where on festival season temple priests does this
process. While observing temple premises outer walls of main sanctum we
observed the walls were depicted with various forms & postures of Lord
Varaha Narasimha Swamy.
Another practice of
offering is Kode dooda !!!!
Devotees will observe
pradakshina along with the calf around the prakaram in temple with salvation
& tie the calf at dwajasthambham.
Ratha Mandapam!!!!!
 |
| Lord hanuman in simhachalam carved without his weapon (Gadha) |
Beautiful stone chariot
drawn by horses at one corner of the temple.
Kalyana Mandapam!!!!
Inner prakara is of 96
pillared Kalyana Mandapa and each pillar carved uniquely. Northern entrance of
the temple has about 16 pillars depicting incarnation of Vishnu Natyamandapa,
here the pillars are carved with Lions head at the base.After 10mins the
climate was little favoured to us ,we came out of main temple
through main temple entrance tower where we need to get down
30 steps,and straight away headed to queue line of prasadam counter
where we have took laddus and thought of to take pulihora, but it
was out of stock .
I thought of photography
while raining after collecting laddus and went for collecting camera from
counter by the time rain was totally stopped .ooops missed the beauty of
rain photography.
Unique feature of
temple!!!!
The main deity gives
Nijaroopa darshan (original form) for only 12 hours in an year, this occasion
comes on Akshaya Thrutiya day which falls on vaisakha sudha thrutiya and this
day is and called as Chandanotsavam. The removal of sandal is removed blind folded in two
hours and after removal of sandal priests cast away their eye binds and does
abhishekam and special pooja. Rest of the days the deity is covered by
sandalwood paste which is a process of extraction of sandalwood sticks on rock
and applies this to Lord. So the Lord will be covered as sivalingarupam with
sandal paste. It consumes of 500kgs of sandal paste annually for application to
lord.
Why applied Sandal paste
to Lord here daily??????
Because it is said to
have appeased the fury of the Lord after the demise of rakshasa King
Hiranyakasipu.
Temple Architecture!!!!
Now for the last three
centuries Vizayanagaram royal family has been the temple trustees.
Buddist settlements are
also found on all top hill tops has come to light during a recent renovation by
endowments department. It was said that Chalukyan period had come out
transparently after lime wash cover was removed on the Khandalite rocks used to
built the temple.
Giri Pradakshina
!!!!!
 |
| At tholi pavancha (first step of steps route ) coconut breaking |
 |
| Lord Chariot |
 |
| Simhachalam Model temple |
The unique feature of giri pradakshina is lord himself does giri pradakshina along with devotees in chariot.
Tonsure !!!!
Devoted pilgrims
have their heads tonsured as a sort of offering to the lord.
Return Journey to Vizag !!!!!
while coming down we stopped at one place from where vizag city is visible.
we have observed some extension to ghat road, adding alternative routes are constructed,sooner open to public.
Quick Info!!!
- Daily Nityakalyanum is done to lord at 9:30 am and
ticket costs around 1000 rupees
- Take bath in holy
perennial spring Ganga-dhara and have darshan.This water flow from
hill is with great medical facilities and it als provides water to
pineapple fields and flower gardens on hill.
- On every Thursday Swarna Kavacha Darshan i.e covered by
gold dress.
- Around 7am on Thursdays Swarna Pushpa Archana will be
performed and ticket costs around 1116 rupees.
- Daily Nitya Annadanam is done
to devotees.
- Temple openings: 7am to 4pm and
6pm to 9pm.
- Simhachalam information office
ph: 0891-2764949)
- Simhachalam accomdation ph:9704202202, Chandana Tourist rest house ,Temple choultry ,TTD choultry, Gajapathy choultry,Nrusimha sadan,Prahaladha cottage etc (online booking available)
- Temple daily scheduled darshans----
Suprabhatha
seva 4 am,
Free darshan
& Special darshan (20/- to 100/-) 7am to 11:30 am,
Break
11:30 to 12:30 pm,
Free
darshan 12:30 to 2:30,
Break
2:30 to 3:00 pm,
Free
darshan & special darshans 3 to 7pm,
Break
7 to 7:30 pm,
Darshan
7:30 to 8:30 pm,
Ekantha
seva 9pm.
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