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Singarayakonda
Narasimha Aalayam
This is an ancient hill temple dedicated to Varahanarasimhaswamy, and so the archamurti represents a harmonious blend of
two incarnations - Varaha and Narasimha. According to sthalapurana, this holy shrine was built by Agasthya mahamuni. The
temple is situated on a hillock of 200 feet in height. The hill is variously called and each has legend convincing with some
sort of proof.
Legends
One among such names is Malyagiri, signifying that it is a hill formed out of the dried up garlands offered to the Mulavirat
Narasimhaswamy. In the past, it was visited by thousands of devout Bhaktas, whose offering of garlands exceeded
thousands, and when removed and heaped on the next day, they formed into a hill. And so the Lord was called
Malakondaraya in the past. Another version is that the hill and the village lying at the foot of the hill got the name of
Singarayakonda due to dwelling of Singaraya - a colloquial term used for Narasimha in these parts. Yet, there is one more
story current, that a notorious bandit by name Singadu was residing on this hill and it was called Singarayakonda. Whatever
may be the origin, it is a hill temple with many uniques. The Lord is called 'Thatayya', an honorific term used for the aged.
Here it is quite appropriate for the deity, since he has been abiding in this hill since time immemorial. It has some sacred
ponds like Bhavanasi and Rajaswalibugga and it is believed that a single bath in them ensures moksha. Narada did
penance here, and Sri Rama too visited this place during his exile with Sita and Lakshmana. Devendra offered worship to
this Lord once. The kshetrapalaka of this place is Kalabhairava with many such legends, this kshetra is occupying a
covetable place among the 32 famous Narasimha kshetras of Andhra Pradesh and is known as Dakshina Simhachalam. The
temple has a strong compound wall with two entrances to the south and north in addition to containing all the essential parts.
The annual Brahmotsav falls in PhaIguna masa and lures lakes of people.
It lies 12 km off Kandukur in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, enjoying bus convenience from Nellore or
Kandukur.
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