Vedadri Narasimha Temple: Difference between revisions

|district=[[NTR district|NTR]]

'''Vedadri Narasimha Temple''' is a prominent [[Hindus|Hindu]] temple located in the town of [[Vedadri|Vedadri, Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]]. It is dedicated to the worship of [[Narasimha]]. This temple is a major [[pilgrimage]] site in [[Andhra Pradesh|Andhra]], attracting thousands of devotees every year, and it is one of the Pancha Narasimha Kshetras.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rao|first=M. Gopal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NkklAAAAMAAJ|title=Nagarjuna Sagar: The Epic of a Great Temple of Humanity : World's Largest Masonry Dam|date=1979|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|language=en}}</ref> The temple is located on the bank of the [[Krishna River]].

According to the temple's historical tradition (''sthalapurana''), Vedadri represents the [[Vedas]] in the form of a hill.<ref name=":0">'[https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=osu1092749968&disposition=inline Five Narasimha Temples in Andhra Pradesh and Their Function as a Religious Collective'] by Anu Vedagiri (2004). p. 45. Ohio State University.</ref> This mythological tradition relays that a demon named Somakasura stole the Vedas from [[Brahma]] and hid them in the ocean.<ref name=":0" /> The panicked gods are said to have prayed to [[Vishnu]], who appeared in the form of Narasimha to rescue the Vedas by turning them into Vedadri on the river Krishna.<ref name=":0" />

The Vedadri Narasimha Temple is said to have gained prominence during the reign of the [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya Empire]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KG8wAQAAIAAJ|title=Cultural Heritage of the Kakatiyas: A Medieval Kingdom of South India|date=1993|publisher=District Council for Cultural Affairs|pages=28|language=en}}</ref> [[Narayana Teertha|Narayana Tirtha]], a noted Telugu [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavite]] saint and composer, was a routine visitor to this temple.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ram|first=Vani Bai|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_4AuAAAAMAAJ|title=Glimpses of Indian Music|date=1961|publisher=Kitab Mahal, Wholesale Division|pages=130|language=en}}</ref> In the 1800s, Raja Vasireddy Muktiswara Prasad Nayudu, a zamindar ancestor of [[Muktyala Raja]], renovated and added to the temple by renewing the [[Dhwaja Stambha|dhwajastabham]] and building 108 flight of stairs for pilgrims to reach the Krishna River from the hillock that houses the temple.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Vadivelu|first=A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oFwDWt2N29cC|title=The Aristocracy of Southern India|date=2017-10-13|publisher=Mittal Publications|pages=290|language=en}}</ref> A popular, annual festival is held at the temple to celebrate Narasimha Jayanati on Vaisakha Suddha Purnima.<ref>http://lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2720/1/21666_1961_KRI.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>