After completing the Girivalam on Saturday (6/June), I had planned to visit 3 Narasimha Kshetrams on Sunday. It is believed that visiting 3 Narasimha Kshetrams on same day is very auspicious.
There are 18 Narasimha Kshetrams in south India, they are:
1. Parikkal near Villupuram.
2. Singri near Pondicherry and Cuddalore.
3. Singaperumal Kovil near Chengalpet.
4. Poovarasan Kuppam near Panruti.
5. Sholingar near Walajapet.
6. Polur near Tiruvannamalai.
7. Sinthalavadi near Trichy.
8. Namakkal near Salem.
9. Singar Koil near Vellore.
10. Narasinghapuram near Tiruvallur.
11. Avaniyapuram near Kanchipuram.
12. Tirunarayanapuram at Melkote on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway.
13. Simhachalam near Visakapatnam, Andhra.
14. Katri near Kurnool, Andhra.
15. Ahobilam (Nava Narasimhar) near Nandyal, Andhra.
16. Mangalagiri near Vijayawada.
17. Yadagiri Gudda near Hyderabad, Andhra.
18. Kunjala near Sosale, Karnataka.
Started from the Sheshadri swamigal madam the place where I stayed overnight at around 8:30 am. I had a strong coffee at the mutt's hotel. I cleaned/dusted my Bull (Read as Royal Enfield Bullet), tightened the brakes checked few other things and everything was good and I was ready for my journey.
The first Kshetram I decided to go was Anthili (Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal). This is a very small village about 7-8 Kms from Tirukoviloor. Just near the Tirukoviloor Brindhavanam (This is a very powerful place, in case you have not been to this place its visit is worth is gold). Take a right while coming from Tirukoviloor town, or a left if you are coming from Tiruvannamalai. Travel on the same road till you hit a police station, just before the police station you will find a small road, take a right into that road and keep travelling, I asked directions to the temple and the villagers promptly said "Tar roadlaye Poonga" meaning follow the tar road. I did for few minutes and found 2 small temples on the right-hand side; no one was there near the place. But took that road and to my surprise that was the Anthili Sri Lakshmi Narasimha temple.
The Priest was a lone man in the temple and there was an old lady sitting just outside the temple selling some ghee lamps and tulasi. I took 4 lamps from her and some tulasi leaves for the lord and went inside the temple. Climbing few steps you will be greeted with a broad smile of Narasimha. I gave the offerings to the priest and did a very good aarthi for the lord. Was talking to him for sometime he also explained me the sthala puranam of the place. Took leave from the temple and went the second temple where you will find a Veera Hanumar, offered my obeisance to him and also offered few ghee lamps there and started to my next temple Parikal Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal.
As it was summer the heat was picking up, I wanted to eat something before I continued my journey. I came to the Tirukoviloor city and stopped at the most famous hotel there Aarya Bavan (don't have high hopes). No snack was available, ordered curd rice, which was good. Had some cold water to beat the heat and started to Parikal. There was no problem with the route as it is a very famous temple ask any one they will guide you to go there, it is a ride of about 35 kms. The heat made it look like almost 60+ kms. My Bull went into reserve mode of fuel and for quite a distance I did not get fuel, took a small deviation at a cross road and re-fueled and reached Parikal parked my Bull in the shade and bought few flowers and tulasi and went inside the temple. There was a small queue waited for about 15 mins and had a great darshan of the lord.
As it was almost 1:00 pm it was extremely hot and the temple at Poovarasan Kuppam will only open by 5:00 pm decided to stay in Parikal till 4:00 and then start my next journey again. Just near the place where I had parked my Bull there was an old Brahmin man. Spoke to him for a while that is when I came to know that there is another very purana kshetram called Tiruvadhigai just about 2 Kms from Panruti where there is a Sayana Narasimhar (Narasimhar in sleeping posture, the one that resembles Lord Ranganatha). I got his permission to sleep in his house's thinnai, there was some breeze from the neem tree, which was just outside his house, and he was very helpful to turn on the fan as well. Rested for about 3 hours a kind of disturbed sleep, refreshed myself and started from there to Tiruvadhigai.
Just crossing the Panruti Coot road, 1 Km further took a small deviation to your RHS, asked the local people where is the perumal kovil and reached at the location. This temple was also a very old temple build during the Pallava regime take care by the Hindu religious board. The temple was locked and the flower seller was just arranging the flowers over a small table in front of the temple. She told the temple will open in another 15 mins Waited for a while and it opened about 5:30 pm. took some flowers and tulasi to offer went inside the temple.
The moolavar in this temple is Saranarayana Perumal with Sridevi thaayar. After their darshan on to your RHS you will find the Sayana Narasimhar, This is the only place in the world where you will find Narasimhar in the sleeping posture. It was a spectacular sight, a very small vigraham with thanga kavacham simply wonderful. Then started from there to visit my next destination, which was Poovarasan Kuppam. (If you have time there is a Ranganatha temple as well in this village do visit that).
That is about another 20-25 Kms from Tiruvadhigai. After a drive for about 45 mins reached Poovarasan kuppam ask for directions and every local will guide to the temple there, you will cross the village Siruvanthadu famous for silk/Pattu. 2 Kms from there you will read Poovarasan Kuppam. There was a provision store here so took some dry fruits and kalkandu to offer to the lord, got tulasi as well. The darshan Lakshmi Narasimhar was spectacular. The priest did an elaborate archanai and aarthi as well.
Then started from there crossed Villupuram, through the Vetavallam road came back to Tiruvannamali at about 8:30 about 65-70 Kms.
