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creating the location from scratch

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{{Short description|Hindu temple}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Padalathri Narasimhar temple
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| image = Singaperumalkovil1.JPG
| coordinates = {{coord|12|45|37.2|N|80|00|17.5|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu
| native_name = Singaperumalkovil
| country = {{flag|India}}
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Chengalpattu district|Chengalpattu]]
| locale = [[Singaperumalkoil]], [[Chennai]]
| deity = Padalathri Narasimhar ([[Vishnu]]) Ahobilavalli ([[Lakshmi]])
| architecture = Pallava Architecture
| festivals = Chittirai Brahmotsavam Pavithrotsavam Theppotsavam Narasimhar Jayanthi
| tradition= [[Vaishnavism]]
| elevation_m = 60.76
}}

The '''Padalathri Narasimhar Temple''' or '''Narasimhar Temple''' (also called '''Singaperumal Koil''') is dedicated to [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god [[Vishnu]] ([[Narasimhar|Narasimha]]) located in [[Singaperumalkoil|Singaperumal Koil]], near [[Chennai City]], in the South Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. Constructed as [[rock-cut architecture]], it is dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Narasimha, and his consort Lakshmi as Ahobilavalli. The temple was built by the [[Pallava]]s during the 8th century. Earlier in [[Kanchipuram district]], it is now under [[Chengalpattu district]]. The temple is classified asaone mong the 108 [[Abhimana Kshethram|Abhimana Kshethrams]] of the [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] tradition.

The temple is open from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and has four daily rituals at various times of the day. Various festivals are celebrated in the temple, with the Chittirai Brahmotsavam during April–May, Narasimha Jayanthi, Pavithra Utsavam during ''[[Tamil_calendar|Aani]]'' (June–July) and [[Tamil_calendar|Maasi]] float festival (Theppam) during February–March being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].

==Legend==
[[File:Singaperumalkovil5 - Copy.JPG|200px|Image of Narsimha with Lakshmi on his lap|thumb|left]]
According to the Hindu legend, Singaperumal Kovil is referred by a [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] Padalathri. The temple finds mention in ''[[Brahmanda Purana]]'', which mentions that Vishnu appeared as [[Narasimha]] to the sages performing penance at this place after killing the asura king [[Hiranyakasipu|Hiranyakashipu]]. Hiranyakashipu was troubling the [[Hindu deities|devas and devis]] as he got a boon from [[Brahma]], that neither human nor an animal could kill him. His son [[Prahlada]] was an ardent devotee of Vishnu, which Hiranyakashipu discouraged. He also tried to slay Prahlada by various means, but was saved by the divine grace of Vishnu. Vishnu took the avatar of Narasimha and appeared from a pillar. Narasimha, as a lion-man deity, caught Hiranyakashipu and Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu on an evening time in a doorway, which was neither land nor air. His anger was not quenched even after slaying the asura king, but Prahlada sang and prayed Narasimha to calm down, which he acceded to.<ref name=Madhavan/> He is also believed to have quenched his anger by bathing at the temple tank in this place. The water is believed to have turned red after the incident.<ref name=A>{{cite book|title=Temples of South India|first=Ambujam |last=Anantharaman|page=149|publisher=East West Books (Madras)|year=2006|isbn=978-81-88661-42-8}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Singaperumalkovil4.JPG|thumb|Narasimha temple towers.]]
[[File:Singaperumalkovil8.JPG|thumb|Steps leading up the hill to reach the Narasimha temple.]]
Singaperumal Kovil was originally called by various names like Alvar Narasingadevar, and Narsinga Vinnagar Alvar. The original temple is believed to have been built in [[Rock-cut architecture]] by the [[Pallava]]s, who built cave temples of similar kind in the area.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu |title=Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu|year=2007|publisher=T. Krishna Press |location=Chennai|page=26 |isbn=978-81-7478-177-2}}</ref> The inscriptions on the walls of the temple are from the Chola regime during the 10th–11th centuries CE. The inscriptions are made in [[Telugu Language|Telugu]],<ref name=scripts>{{cite book|title=Lists of the Antiquarian Remains in the Presidency of Madras, Volume 1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QswOAAAAQAAJ&dq=singaperumal&pg=PA191|page=191|last=Sewell|first=Robert|publisher=E. Keys|year=1882}}</ref> [[Grantha alphabet|Grantha]]<ref name=scripts /> and [[Tamil Language|Tamil]]{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} scripts. The oldest inscription is found from the period of [[Rajaraja I|Raja Raja Chola]] (985–1014 CE), the most famous [[Chola]] emperor from [[Thanjavur]] in 990 CE indicating a gift of 26 sheep for producing ghee for the perpetual lighting of the temple by oil lamps. Another inscription from Andal shrine is mutilated, but indicates a gift by an individual to the presiding deity. The third inscription is mutilated, presumably from the 11th century indicating gifts to the temple.<ref name=Madhavan/>

==Architecture==
[[File:Singaperumalkovil3.JPG|200px|Inner Prāhāram (near Paramapada Entrance)| thumb]]
The temple is built in [[Rock-cut architecture]], occupies around {{convert|1.5|acre|ha|abbr=on}} and has two precincts. It is located in [[Singaperumalkoil| Singaperumal Koil]], a suburb located {{convert|45|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Chennai]], the capital of the [[South India]]n state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. The presiding deity housed in the sanctum in a cave is a rock-cut image, in seated posture with his right leg bent and left leg left hanging. Narasimha has four hands with two of the top hands holding his [[Panchajanya|Conch]] and [[Sudarshana Chakra|Chakra]], while the other two hands showing Abaya Mudra and Uru hasta (resting on his lap). Ugra Narasimha is sported with a third eye on his forehead, which is usually a feature of [[Shiva]]. The sanctum is guarded by two [[Dvarapalas]] image on either sides. The shrine of his consort, Ahobilavalli is located in the second precinct, which is believed to be a later addition. There is a shrine of [[Andal]] located to the right of the sanctum. While the two shrines of Ahobilavalli and [[Andal]] have precincts, unlike the shrine of Narasimhar.<ref name="dinamalar"/>

The shrine of [[Garuda]] facing Narasimhar, the eagle mount of Vishnu, is located axial to the central shrine. The central shrine is approached through [[mandapa|Mahamandapa]], the worship hall and a narrow Ardha mandapam. The flagpost is located behind the shrine of Garuda, axial to the central shrine and the gateway tower. There are images of [[Azhwars|Alvars]] in the worship hall on both sides and the shrine of Ahobilavalli is located in the second precinct. The [[vimana]], the roof over the sanctum, has stucco images of various avatars of Vishnu. There are separate shrines of [[Lakshmi Narasimha]], [[Ramanuja]], [[Manavala Mamunigal]], and [[Vishwaksena|Vishvaksena]].<ref name=Madhavan/>

==Worship practices and festivals==
[[File:Singaperumalkovil7.JPG|200px|Temple tree|thumb|left]]
The temple follows [[Thenkalai|Tenkalai]] tradition of worship based on Vaikasana Agamic tradition. The temple is open from 6:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The temple priests perform the ''[[puja (Hinduism)|puja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the [[Brahmin|Brahmana]] [[Varna (Hinduism)|Varna]] of the [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavaite]] community. The temple rituals are performed four times a day: ''Ushathkalam'' at 8 a.m., ''Kalasanthi'' at 10:00 a.m., ''Sayarakshai'' at 5:00 p.m. and ''Ardha Jamam'' at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''neivethanam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Narasimhar and his consort Ahobilavalli. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.<ref name=Madhavan>{{cite book|title=Vishnu Temples of South India Volume 1 (Tamil Nadu)|first=Chithra|publisher=Chithra Madhavan|last=Madhavan|isbn=978-81-908445-0-5|year=2007|pages=101–5}}</ref><ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web|title=Sri Patalathri Narasimhar temple|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=946|publisher=Dinamalar|year=2014|access-date=9 November 2015}}</ref>

Various festivals are celebrated in the temple, with the Chittirai Brahmotsavam during April–May, Narasimha Jayanthi, Pavithra Utsavam during ''Aani'' (June–July) and Maasi float festival during February–March being the most prominent. During Aani Brahmotsavam, the temple car housing the festival deities of Narasimhar and Ahobilavalli is drawn around the streets of Singaperumalkoil. During the float festival in February–March, the presiding deities are drawn in a float in the temple tank. There are festivals almost every month in the temple. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=Hindu>{{cite news|title=Brahmotsavam at Singaperumalkoil|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/06/06/stories/2003060601400400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041119174916/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/06/06/stories/2003060601400400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 November 2004|date=6 June 2003|access-date=9 November 2015|last=T.A.|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|first=Srinivasan}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lakshmi Narasimha|Lakshmi-Narasimha]]
* [[Marundeeswarar Temple, Thirukachur|Thirukachur Marundeeswarar Temple]]
* [[Kachabeswarar temple, Thirukachur|Thirukachur Kachabeswarar Temple]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Famous Vishnu temples|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Kanchipuram district]]
[[Category:Narasimha temples]]
[[Category:Abhimana temples of Vishnu ]]

Padalathri Narasimhar Temple - Revision history

Nobranding1: creating the location from scratch