Mangalagiri
- Rajyalakshmi Narasimha Aalayam
Among the many temples, here at the foot of the hill this is the biggest and has largest number of visitors The Rajalakshmi
Narasimha Aalayam is quite imposing in dimensions, and has a high 153 X 32 feet tower over the entrance, supposed to be
the highest in Andhra Pradesh. Ibis grand high tower has a contribution made by Vassireddy Venkataswamy Naidu, a
famous king ruling this region from his capital Amaravathi. 'Ibis eleven-storeyed main gopura faces east. The three other
temples are ancient and much- hallowed, they too draw the devotees with interesting episodes occurred in the lives of
ardent devotees visiting them since long. The main temple according to records was built by Yudhistara in the Dwaparayuga
and is receiving renovation and rich endowments by the ruling princes of this region timely. 'The mulavirat is adorned with a
neck chain containing 108 Salagrams. A rare make and grand jewel worthy to be worn by a Lord of Narasimharupa alone.
There is a car in this temple made of wood displaying the exquisite carvings of many stories from the epics, like the
Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhaagavata. The craftsmanship is of a superior kind and enthralls the viewers with several
interesting episodes of eternal interest. It was visited by spiritual dignitaries like Sri Sankaracharya, Ramanuja and
Chaitanya Prabhu. And imperial monarchs like Sri Krishna Devaraya. The several inscriptions found on the walls help to
trace the history of the temple since its inception.
It is in the Mangalagiri town, accessible by city bus from Vijayawada, one of the premier cities of A.P.
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