Simhachalam Varaha Narasimha

Hill temple where the murti is covered in sandal paste most of the year; Chandana Yatra unveils it.

दर्शन महत्व: Unique ritual calendar; easy for Vizag travellers, overlooked by west-coast pilgrims.

यात्रा का सर्वश्रेष्ठ समय: Oct–Mar

History

Simhachalam near Visakhapatnam is a hill temple where Varaha Narasimha is covered in sandal paste (chandanam) almost year-round. The Chandana Yatra festival reveals the underlying stone deity briefly to vast crowds.

Legends

• The dual form — Varaha (boar) and Narasimha — is unique; the sandal covering is said to cool the Lord’s fierce ugra nature.
• Inscriptions date royal patronage from the Cholas and Eastern Ganga dynasty.