Simhachalam Varahaswamy Temple Heritage of Vizianagaram

The Simhachalam Varahaswamy (Narasimha) temple atop Simhachalam hill in Vizianagaram district is one of Andhra Pradesh's most important Vaishnava shrines and a superb example of Orissan-influenced Kalinga style temple architecture. The temple is unusual in that the main deity — Narasimha, the man-lion form of Vishnu — is covered year-round by a coat of white sandalwood paste, so that the figure appears to be a Shivalinga. The sandalwood paste is removed only on one day per year (Chandan Yatra), when the deity's full form is visible to devotees. The 11th-century temple features elaborate carved exterior walls with bands of elephants, horses, and mythological figures in the Kalinga tradition, and a curvilinear tower (rekha deul) typical of Orissan temples.