(On top of the Ugra Stambha!)August 13-17, 2008
aho veeryam aho shouryam aho bahu parakrame
naarsimhah param devam ahobilam ahobalam
Let me first offer my obeisances unto Srila Prabhupada and all the Vaishnavas, by whose mercy I am presently following the sublime process of Krishna Consciousness. Let me also beg forgiveness from all the devotees who came along for this Ahobilam trip for all the offences I would have committed against them because of all my shortcomings. I also pray to Lord Narasimha Dev for His blessings before starting this article.
Contents
0. How to reach Ahobilam, Places to visit, Where to Stay, Contact Numbers, and Itinerary
1. Prelude
2. Glorifying the Organizers in Lord Chaitanya’s Sankirtan Movement
3. Day One-Two : The journey to Ahobilam, and Four temples
3.1. Bhargava Narasimha Swamy
3.2. Chatravata Narasimha Swamy
3.3. Yogananda Narasimha Swamy
3.4. HG Purushottam Murali Prabhu
3.5. Prahlad-Varada Narasimha Swamy
4. Day Three : Adventure Day! Five temples, Prahlad’s School, Ugra-Stambha!
4.1. The Morning Japa
4.2. Varaaha (or Krodha) Narasimha Swamy
4.3. Jwaalaa Narasimha Swamy
4.4. The Ugra-Stambha!
4.5. Malola Narasimha Swamy
4.6. Prahlad’s School and Cave
4.7. Ahobila Narasimha Swamy
4.8. Karanja Narasimha Swamy
4.9. HG Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu
5. Day Four : The Paavana Experience!
5.1. Paavana Narasimha Swamy
5.2. Mahanandi
5.3. Back to Cuddappah and Pune
6. Epilogue
0. How to reach Ahobilam, Places to visit, Where to stay, Contacts, and Itinerary
Nearest Railway station coming from Pune is Cuddappah in Andhra Pradesh. Its 125 Kms from Ahobilam. 3 hour car drive.
Places to visit
1. Nine self-manifest Narasimha deities (nava-Narasimha)
1.1. Bhargava Narasimha (Ahobilam)
1.2. Chatravata Narasimha (Ahobilam)
1.3. Yogananda Narasimha (Ahobilam)
1.4. Karanja Narasimha (Ahobilam)
1.5. Ahobila Narasimha (Lower Ahobilam)
1.6. Varaaha (Krodha) Narasimha (Lower Ahobilam)
1.7. Jwaalaa Narasimha (Upper Ahobilam, Vedadri hills)
1.8. Malola Narasimha (Upper Ahobilam, Vedadri hills)
1.9. Paavana Narasimha (Upper Ahobilam, Garudadri hills)
2. Prahlad’s school and cave (Upper Ahobilam, near Malola Narasimha)
3. Ugra-Stambha (Upper Ahobilam, Vedadri hills, via Jwaalaa Narasimha)
4. Prahlada-Varada Temple (Ahobilam)
5. Sri Ahobila Math (Ahobilam)
Place to stay and contact numbers
1. Sri Ahobila Math
1.1. 9490515284
1.2. 08519 252045
Itinerary
All the places can be visited in two days. But best is to give three days so that one can take darshan nicely and spend sufficient time at the various places. Roughly:
Half day for all places in Ahobilam
One day for all places on Vedadri hills
Half day for Paavana Narasimha (Garudadri hills)
1. Prelude
Ever since I heard that the pillar from which Lord Narasimha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had burst out exists on the surface of the earth, I was fascinated. HG Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu (whom I will henceforth refer to as SKCP in this writeup) first told me about that place. “Have you been to Ahobilam?” he asked. “Ahobilam? What’s that? Never even heard of it” I said. “What! You have not heard of Ahobilam? What are you doing?” He was quite shocked that I did not know about Ahobilam. But when I heard about it from SKCP, I had no doubt in my mind that I must go there. I repeatedly started expressing my desire to SKCP and he was so kind to me that he decided to gift me an Ahobilam trip! Thank you very much Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu. I will be ever grateful.
2. Glorifying the Organizers in Lord Chaitanya’s Sankirtan Movement
(Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu)
And so it began. One of the most memorable and unique experiences in my life. SKCP organized the whole trip from the very beginning. I was more of a spokesman. We reached out to about 40 devotees through email. But soon the whole of Pune congregation knew about it. We booked most of the tickets two and a half months in advance. As the trip grew closer, we had to finalize more and more things. Lodging, Prasadam (meals and snacks), road transport in and around Ahobilam, medical equipment, etc. I am mentioning this especially to bring out the point that even for arranging a 3-day trip for 20-odd devotees takes a lot of planning and efforts. When I experienced this for the first time in my life (typically I stay away from administrative tasks), I realized how much trouble the devotees of Lord Chaitanya take to propagate His mission. One can clearly see that organization is one of the most important limbs of Lord Gauranga’s mission and to organize things day-in-and-day-out surely puts a lot of strain on the body and mind. Suddenly I realized how important is this skill of organizing in Lord Chaitanya’s movement, and that therefore I should also try to become decently good at it in order to serve Srila Prabhupada effectively. Organizing, it seems to me, is not only one of the most challenging services, but since not all might know how tough it is, it is also one of the most thankless. I therefore pay my heartfelt obeisances to all devotees who serve the movement in the role of organizers. And SKCP is a brilliant organizer!
3. Day One-Two : The journey to Ahobilam, and Four temples
We started from Pune on the evening of August 13, and reached Cuddappah (Andhra Pradesh) around 1230 on the 14th. In the train we recited all the Mangal Arati prayers and kirtans. HG RamKrishna Prabhu then gave a short Bhagavatam class. In Cuppappah, four sumos were already waiting for us to take us to Ahobilam. We reached the holy dham of Ahobilam at around 1500. The lodging had already been arranged for us in the Sri Ahobila Math. After a quick shower and a quick lunch, all of us were ready for what we had come for! Darshan of the Lord! Ahobilam is the place where Lord Narasimha Dev has exhibited (and keeps exhibiting even to the day) numerous pastimes. The most famous of them is of course the protection of the pure devotee Prahlad by the destruction of the demon Hiranyakashipu. There are nine different self-manifest (svayambhu, or svayama-vyakta) deities of Lord Narasimha amidst the hills of the Ahobila Kshetra. Aho-bilam literally means “wonderful cave” referring to the caves in which some of the nine self-manifest deities appeared and/or stay. Ahobilam is also referred to as Aho-balam, referring to the wonderful strength of Lord Narasimhadev. These nine deities together form one Divya-Desham. There are 108 such Divya-Deshams all over India. All of these are temples of Lord Vishnu in His various forms. Apart from these nine deities there are other temples and spots which are all transcendental. Hold your breath, and read on, as I take you through all of them one-by-one.
3.1. Bhargava Narasimha Swamy
I have always liked to be in the middle of nature. And I love to travel too. Therefore, I reminded myself again and again, before and after reaching Ahobilam, that I am not here for a trekking picnic to have a nice time, but that I am here for the sacred task of taking the darshan of Lord Narasimha in His special abode. Ahobilam has three parts. Ahobilam, Lower Ahobilam, and Upper Ahobilam. That day we visited four temples in Ahobilam. This dham is considered next only to Tirupathi by the devotees of the glorious Sri Sampradaya.
We climbed into four four-wheel drive jeeps and started for Bhargava Narasimha. We took off from the main tarmac road onto a dirt road made slushy and uneven in a lot of places by the recent rains. Quite a roller-coaster experience. SKCP was in my jeep and was very excited. We sang the Narasimha Pranam while we jostled around in the jeep barely holding onto something so as not to fall off or hurt ourselves. It was quite an exciting experience. The jeeps reached a spot on the hills in the jungle from where we had to walk for 5 minutes or so to the stairs that led up to the temple of Bhargava Narasimha. I and SKCP were without any footwear and either the stones were pricking us now and then, or we were kicking the stones unintentionally now and then. The sole and the front part of the thumbs were most exposed to injury. But, with the knowledge that any trouble or pain one undergoes in the dham purifies one’s past sins, the occasional bursts of pain were blissful because they reminded me of Lord Narasimha even more intensely. We climbed up the stairs amidst lush green foliage. The kids were having a ball. I was just too happy to speak much. I was trying to immerse my consciousness into the dham. Just to take it all in as much as possible so that I can later meditate on it when I am actually out of the dham.
Bhargava Muni wanted to see the Lord in His form when He was just about to kill Hiranyakashipu. He performed tapasya here and pleased the Lord who appeared in front of him in the form where His two hands are just about to enter Hiranyakashipu’s belly. Both the Lord and Hiranyakashipu are looking in the direction of Bhargava Muni. Hence the name Bhargava Narasimha!
3.2. Chatravata Narasimha Swamy
(Chatravata Narasimha Swamy)
Still barefoot, I, along with the other devotees, walked back to the jeeps. After another roller-coaster ride, we were on the tarmac road once again. “Thank God” someone said, “Oh no!” I said. I was actually enjoying the ride. We swapped the jeeps with the sumos and now headed towards Chatravata Narasimha. The sumos stopped on the road far way from any visible temple. But I soon realized that this was because the road that led off to our right towards the temple was blocked by a fallen tree! Just part of the eternal Narasimha Lila! Lord Narasimha is not easily attained nor is He to be taken for granted. I and SKCP (and perhaps most others) were enjoying every moment of it. The plot thickened a bit though when we found that not only was the tree fallen, it was also on fire! Presumably the fire was due to a broken electric wire. Now I had to be really careful without my footwear. Dodging the smoldering embers, we crossed that hurdle without casualty. Some devotees took a little detour, and instead of coming through the blazing maze of the broken tree, they had to contend with a 5-6 feet deep ravine to cross. This way or that, Lord Narasimha was making sure that our remembrance of Him intensifies. This was His causeless mercy.
Chatravata Narasimha is smiling widely in this temple. He was very pleased to hear the musical performances of two Gandharvas, Haahaa and Hoohoo, and therefore personally appeared here to give them audience. While doing so, he started counting the musical beats on His left thigh with His left hand. It’s a beautiful deity and one is amazed how such a deity can be self-manifest. Laxmiji is seated on the right side of His chest on a lotus flower. The deity is the very emblem of peace and tranquility.
Just outside the temple we encountered saffron clad renunciates. Later I heard a devotee mention that these renunciates cant be bogus because Ahobilam is not really a commercial place. I immediately instructed my mind to be as non-judgmental as possible in the dham.
3.3. Yogananda Narasimha Swamy
We encountered the same obstacles while going back to our sumos. By Lord Narasimha’s mercy, no one was injured (as far as I know). Next we went to visit Yogananda Narasimha. Here is where the Lord taught Yoga to His most beloved Prahlad. The Lord Himself is sitting in a particular Yoga-asana which is impossible for anyone except Him to perform. There is also a Yoga belt around his knees. One time, somehow this deity got damaged and the then Jeeyar got very much disturbed. (Jeeyar is the term used to refer to the spiritual master of the Ahobilam Math.) His health went down, and so on. Therefore a new deity was installed in the same temple on a raised platform just behind the original self-manifest one. Thus, today there are two Yoganada Narasimha Swamy deities in that temple, the original self-manifest one, and the later installed one. Of course, Vaishnavas understand that both deities are as bona fide as the other.
3.4. HG Purushottam Murali Prabhu
(HG Purushottam Murali Prabhu on top of the Ugra Stambha)
With hearts full of deep satisfaction, we returned back in our sumos to the Sri Ahobila Math where we were staying. SKCP, UgraNarasimha Prabhu, and others were busy chalking out the next day’s plans. But I was still trying to get into the mood of the dham. I was trying to fix my consciousness on the significance of a dham. The dham is non-different from Vaikuntha, and I was trying to comprehend just how fortunate I was to be there, amongst devotees. While I was lost thus in my thoughts, I heard a booming “Hare Krishna Prahbu!” from SKCP. I was jolted out of my thoughts and it took me some moments to realize what was going on. Who is he to whom SKCP is calling out “Hare Krishna!” so happily and excitedly in Ahobilam? Must be an ISKCON devotee, and must be someone whom SKCP knows. And in another few moments even I wanted to start dancing of joy! I did not actually do so, but I remember telling one devotee that I really wanted to dance in happiness! Because we had just met HG Purushottam Murali Prabhu! A saffron-clad brahmachari (celibate) disciple of HH Bhakti Swarup Damodar Swami Maharaj.
So many thoughts erupted in my mind. But the essence of all of those was that just how much mercy were we getting! Because of Srila Prabhupada and his followers, its only a matter of time before Lord Chaitanya’s movement spreads in every town and village on the face of the earth. And those who are instrumental in this mission are glorious beyond description. HG Purushottam Murali Prabhu told us some things about himself. He has an engineering degree. After marrying off his sisters, he decided to dedicate his life fully to the service of the Lord. He told that he was always spiritually inclined and had decided to be a lifelong celibate even while he was in the 9th standard in school. He used to study a lot of Sri Sampradaya literature as well as Srila Prabhupada books. But finally he decided to join ISKCON, one of the main reasons being that Srila Prabhupada emphasizes clearly the process to be followed in this age of Kali. He has managed to acquire a 10acre land in Allacata (100 Kms from Ahobilam) and a 1acre land in Ahobilam. Soon Krishna Conscious centers will be developed on these lands. College preaching will also start soon in that region of India. Sometime later this year he will be presenting a paper in an international conference related to spirituality.
For us, his arrival was god-sent, literally. It was quite clear to us that Lord Narasimha had arranged this for us, His own children. Throughout our next two days’ excursions and adventures, PMP was with us as a loving and caring spiritual guide and inspiration. We did not have time to hear long lectures from him, but with his behavior he taught us the sublime Vaishnava qualities like humility and service attitude. With him around, we were feeling safe and secure and quite at home in the daunting hills of Ahobilam.
I will refer to Purushottam Murali Prabhu as PMP henceforth in this article.
3.5. Prahlad-Varada Narasimha Swamy
The Prahlad-Varada Narasimha Swamy Temple is just a one-two minute walking distance away from the Sri Ahobila Math. My heart swells in joy as I remember it. It is not one of the nava-Narasimhas (nine Narasimhas) and if PMP had not been with us, we would not have given too much attention to it. But PMP took us there. It’s a gorgeous temple, built by the famous king Krishna Dev Raya. All the sculptured pillars are carved out of single pieces of rock. The main deity is that of Sri Prahlad Varada Narasimha (It’s a Laxmi Narasimha Deity). Just outside the main temple hall, before taking darshan of the Lord, PMP narrated to us a most fascinating pastime. This deity was installed by none other than, hold your breath… none other than Lord Balaji! I was stunned. Lord Balaji married Padmavati, and for Padmavati Lord Balaji installed this deity of Lord Narasimha here. The pastimes of the Lord are sweeter than nectar. How can words capture the feelings of joy that I was experiencing that time, and even now, as I remember those golden moments from the unforgettable Ahobilam Yatra.
(Group photo on the steps of Balaji Temple in the Prahlad-Varada Temple complex)
The temple also has a deity of Amrutavalli Taayar. Taayar means Laxmiji. Just like Sri Radha has a special position in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya, Taayar has similar significance in the Sri Samprdaya. There is also a temple of Lord Balaji in the temple premises along with other structures in the honor of the various acharyas. There is also a hall in which all nine Narasimha deities of the nava-Narasimhas are sculptured on pillars. Some of them have been partially broken by the Islamic invaders, but most of them are fine.
This temple is a classic Sri Sampradaya Temple and I was very much impressed. One can feel the strong vibrations of devotion all around and also sense the mood of joyfulness as well as seriousness in all the dealings of the Sri Vaishnavas. The guru-shishya disciplic succession is one of the most pleasing systems of the Vedic culture. The respect for the predecessor acharyas acts like a unifying bond and a soothing balm for the entangled souls of this world which is so prone to quarrel and disunity. The culture and lifestyle of the Vaishnava residents of Ahobilam reminds one of the Vedic times where the temple of the Lord was the center of all activities.
Just before entering the main temple, to the left, is a pond, typical of many old South Indian Temples. Every year, the festival of Brahmotsava is celebrated in South India. An important deity travels to all the major Sri Sampradaya temples and that journey ends at Ahobilam. At this end of the journey, the Sudarshan Chakra of the Lord bathes in this pond.
4. Day Three : Adventure Day! Five temples, Prahlad’s School, Ugra-Stambha!
Without PMP, we would have had to rely on the guide while trekking up and down the various places we had to visit. Not only that, the guide is definitely not the best person to hear Hari Katha from. But now, with PMP with us, I was bubbling with anticipation for the next day. We still took the guide with us, and he did prove to be very useful and helpful, but we now could hear the various pastimes of the Lord from the mouth of His devotee, and that was just too good. Before leaving for the trip, I had this one concern that we will not have association of a senior devotee who knows a lot about Ahobilam. But the presence of PMP solved all that. PMP and SKCP then finalized the plans for the next day and then we all slept, but not before a few managerial tasks for SKCP and me. Amongst them was the task of distributing snacks (which we had got along from Pune) to all devotees who would carry them with them while trekking the next day.
4.1. The Morning Japa
Piyush Prabhu, Manish Prabhu, SKCP, and I got up early in the morning at around 0300. At around 0400 we were all at the Prahlada-Varada Narasimha Temple. We found a nice spot facing the magnificent gopuram of the temple and sat there to chant. It was one of the best chanting I had ever done. The brahma muhurta hours, the strong spiritual vibrations of Ahobilam, the fresh morning air, and the seriously chanting devotees… all of it combined to form one of the best chanting spots one could dream of. When my mind wandered and I opened my eyes, I could see Piyush Prabhu chanting intensely. This inspired me to chant intensely as well. Time and again I was amazed at my great good fortune that I have landed up in this place, a place which was unheard of for me only a few months ago. I understood that the Lord does fulfill all desires of His devotees, and I was touched by these thoughts.
4.2. Varaaha (or Krodha) Narasimha Swamy
Almost all devotees were ready to go by 0630. Most of them jumped into three of the Sumos and started off for Lower Ahobilam, from where our trek would commence. SKCP and I stayed back for PMP to arrive. We gave ourselves the deadline of 0700 after which even we would have left off without PMP. Perhaps somehow he has got caught up in some work, perhaps he has forgotten, perhaps this, perhaps that… SKCP told me that each time he sets himself such deadlines, the expected event always occurs before it. It was time to see if that trend continues… Haribol! Sure enough, at the strike of the hour, PMP came marching along and SKCP looked at me and with a huge smile and his booming voice exclaimed, “I told you so! You see? He’s here just in time! Its 0700!”.
Lord Narasimha was bestowing His mercy in different ways. Putting us in little anxieties, and then taking us out of them as well. This way He was increasing our remembrance of Himself in His own abode. This is mercy! Fortunately, we reached Lower Ahobilam just a few minutes after the other Sumos. At Lower Ahobilam is another one of the nava-Narasimhas, but we decided to visit Him while returning. We collected a stick for each of us (for trekking) and started off. Soon we entered the jungle and the uphill climb started. We were walking along the Bhavanaashini River. It was a small but forceful stream with ponds in various places. The water was sparklingly clean and nectar to drink. Later in the trip we were fearlessly filling in our water bottles with the water from the flowing Bhavanashini river. It evaporated our fatigue and rejuvenated us for the trek ahead. Just the sight of it was soothing.
There are three hills in Ahobilam. Vedadri, Garudadri, and Achalachalam (need to confirm this name though). The personified Vedas had performed austerities to please the Lord on the Vedadri, and Garuda had done the same on the Garudadri. That day we were going to visit the temples on the Vedadri. The first temple we came across was the Varaaha Narasimha Swamy Temple. Just like all other deities of the nava-Narasimhas, this deity is also self manifest, and it resides in a cave. Lord Varaaha is facing upwards towards His left, and Laxmiji is sitting on His left shoulder holding one of His tusks. A beautiful deity and it evoked emotions of love and affection in my heart for the Lord. How beautiful, elegant, and magnificent is the Lord in everything He does.
4.3. Jwaalaa Narasimha Swamy
After about at least an hour of trekking we arrived at the cave temple of Jwaalaa Narasimha. The cave has a 3-4 deities. One of them is of Lord Narasimha coming out of the pillar. One of them is Lord Narasimha chasing after and catching Hiranyakashipu just before killing him. There is also a deity of the Lord holding Hiranyakashipu on His lap, two hands holding Hiranyakashipu down, and two hands just about to rip him apart! Surely awesome! It reminded me of the utter helplessness of every living entity in front of the might of the Lord. And yet, the Lord is so merciful that He lovingly takes care of us even though we are rebellious. Of course, Hiranyakashipu committed grave Vaishnava Aparadhs, and therefore the Lord gave a different kind of treatment to him. Jwaalaa Narasimha is the place where the Lord finally killed Hiranyakashipu.
The path leading to the Jwaalaa Narasimha goes under an overhanging rock. At the same time, the Bhavanashini river falls down from somewhere above this rock in the form of a waterfall. All of us had nice quick refreshing shower under this waterfall both while going towards and going away from the Jwaalaa Narasimha. And we also filled our water bottles with that water. We had to be careful though. Just beyond the not-so-tall railing was a deep vertical drop. In fact, the place we were standing at was a narrow ledge on the face of a vertical rock. Its quite amazing that we were all quite relaxed all this while. Near the temple, towards the right of the path (the left of the path was the vertical drop), is a small pond where Lord Narasimha washed the blood off His hands after killing the demon. Even today, the rocks around that pond are tinged with red. The water itself is crystal clear and nectarean.
4.4. The Ugra-Stambha!
All this while, I was sub-consciously aware of the Ugra-Stambha. I had heard from devotees that it was deadly dangerous to scale it, especially in the rains. Fortunately, the rains had stayed away apart from the occasional very light drizzle. But still, the general notion was that scaling the Ugra Stambha is something almost impossible. With these thoughts in mind, I was preparing my mind for an extremely dangerous experience. I had past experiences that I could imagine this one to be like. I remember once I was climbing down a vertical cliff without any cliff-hanging gear. It was an experience I will not forget for a long time. Death was one mistake away. I was thinking perhaps the Ugra Stambha would be something of that sort. In fact, not until we heard encouraging words from PMP were we certain about scaling the Stambha. But with PMP with us, encouraging, most of us were prepared to undertake that mission.
We had the first glimpse of the Ugra Stambha on the way to the Jwaalaa Narasimha. It was a majestic site. And from where we were, scaling it was seeming quite impossible. From there we could also see that what is left of the Ugra Stambha resembles the head of Garuda who is looking ahead majestically. There is one slot each on the two faces of the Ugra Stambha which resemble the eyes of Garuda. And the vertical walls of the hills on both sides of the Stambha resemble the wings of Garuda. Thus, we beheld the form of Garuda flying majestically! It was one of most magnificent sights I had ever seen in my life.
With so much uncertainty around the trek up the Ugra Stambha, everyone was praying to Lord Narasimha for protection. 3-4 elderly devotees had decided to stay back at the Jwaalaa Narasimha temple. It was a wise decision. The climb up was steep, but not unmanageable for young people. However, it was the first time in my life I was trekking with a dhoti instead of standard trekking gear. The idea of doing so had sounded quite ridiculous to me initially, but SKCP insisted that in the dham we should look like dham-vaasis. I was still unsure for some time, but eventually decided to go ahead with the dhoti plan. Hopefully SKCP was pleased with this decision of mine too.
We were climbing up the Stambha from the side opposite to what we had seen from below. On the way the guide pointed to me a grave of a person who fell from the top of the Ugra Stambha and died. I did not announce this to the rest, and asked the guide to also not mention these things right now. As HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami Maharaja (Spiritual Master of SKCP) says, “The mind is very powerful. Better not think of death or accidents especially while driving etc.” Without much difficulty we reached the very top. But that was not the final destination. The trickiest part came now. First, we had to cross over a small bridge-like natural structure. It was just 3-4 feet wide, and on both sides were steep drops. The left side drop was no so dangerous (at least that’s what it seemed to me), but the right side drop was sure-shot death. We removed our footwear so that we get a better grip. We crossed the bridge sitting down on the bridge. We couldn’t afford a slip. But after some time, the tension eased and everyone crossed eventlessly.
But again, there was more to come! We were at the highest point in that area. In all directions we could see deep valleys. There was no shelter but Lord Narasimhadev. After this point, we had to climb down at a very steep angle. While looking down, one could see the deep valley, and one wrong step would lead one to certain death. The climb down itself was not necessarily tough, but the margin for error was too small. Those with fear of heights were shivering. Just before starting this climb down, there was dead silence. It was as if no one else was there but you and Lord Narasimha. That time I took shelter of Lord Narasimha Dev by remembering Him intensely. I had no doubt that whether I come back or not is totally in His hands. One devotee decided to stay up there and not proceed.
After 10-15 minutes of tricky steep ups and downs, one reached the final destination. At that place, which is perhaps a rough circle of diameter 5-6 feet, are the lotus foot prints of Lord Narasimhadev. Everyone circumambulated those while SKCP and Manish Prabhu loudly recited the Narasimha Prayers for the others. SKCP and Manish Prabhu were also expertly helping other devotees come up to the final destination. When PMP found out that one devotee had not come, he personally went and got him. Mercy!!
The devotees then came back. The way back was tricky too but we all came back safely. Many devotees expressed later that at some point or the other they did think that Lord Narasimha was their only shelter. I was more relaxed while coming down. Looking at it objectively, I think the trek was not difficult for regular trekkers. But then, Ahobilam is a dham and therefore it is inconceivable and absolutely anything can happen here. I would say that the trek seemed easy to me for the sole reason that Lord Narasimha was merciful upon me. I have had enough experiences in my short Krishna Conscious life to know for certain that without the Lord’s mercy, I cannot do anything. I cant even chant my 16 rounds without His mercy, then what to speak of climbing up and down the Ugra Stambha safely.
4.5. Malola Narasimha Swamy
After safely negotiating the Ugra Stambha, which was possible only by Lord Narasimhadev’s mercy, the rest of the trek was relatively simple. The kids, Mumjal and Chaitali, were having a ball! It was Chaitali’s birthday that day, and climbing the Ugra Stambha was her birthday gift! On the way back and towards our next destination, we looked back at the Ugra Stambha again and again. It struck me that I had just been to places which I keep hearing about all the time! It took some time for the fact to sink in that I had just returned from the very pillar from where Lord Narasimha emerged! Perhaps my hair was standing at that time…
After about half an hour or so, we reached the temple of Malola Narasimha Swamy. “Ma” refers to Laxmiji, “Lola” means “dear to”. The Lord who is very dear to Laxmiji – Malola. Narasimhadev married Chenchu Laxmi, a tribal girl, and this angered Laxmiji. In this Malola Narasimha Temple, the Lord is trying to pacify Laxmiji. For me, and perhaps for all present, who are used to hearing about the destruction of Hiranyakashipu, these other sweet pastimes of Lord Narasimhadev are very very heart warming. That same Lord who was angry beyond description because His devotee was troubled, in this pastime is trying to pacify His another devotee Laxmiji. Not for nothing is the Lord known as Bhakta Vatsala. The Malola Narasimha deity is one of the sweetest deities I have ever seen. My heart is still stirred as I remember that awesome man-lion trying to somehow pacify Laxmiji who has become annoyed with Him. Oh, what a pastime!
PMP told us that this is one of the most powerful places and one can clearly feel the strong vibrations there. He also told us that each of the nava-Grahas (9 planets considered in astrological calculations) has one of these nava-Narasimhas as its Adhipati. Thus, anyone who takes darshan of these nine Narasimhas wont be affected by the bad effects of the nava grahas. He also explained that Vaishnavas are anyways exempt for any such planetary effects. But then, I cannot claim myself to be a Vaishnava, and therefore, at least because of taking the darshan of the nava-Narasimhas, I will be saved from the bad effects of the nava grahas.
4.6. Prahlad’s School and Cave
(Prahlad's School)
Around a 15 minute walk from the Malola Narasimha Temple is a mystic place, in the sense that once you go there, you wont feel like coming back. At least that was my experience. It’s the school where Prahlad studied. It’s a wide open space in the middle of all the rocky hills. Nowhere else did I see such open space in the Ahobilam hills. The surface of that open space is also made of rocks, but its more like a rock flooring than a rocky uneven surface. Not only that, the whole surface is checker-boarded with horizontal and vertical lines carved in that stone. One can also find some kind of script etched on that stone surface. But even without all this, the moment I saw that place, my heart was captured. How wonderful will it be to just be there and read and hear the Bhagavatam amongst exalted devotees? We chanted 1-2 rounds there. At the far end of the flat surface is a small cave where Lord Narasimha gives Yoga practical classes to Prahlad. The theory classes are held at the Yogananda Narasimha Temple which we visited the previous day. I did not want to leave that place, but of course I had to. PMP told us that many senior ISKCON devotees including HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja comes to this spot to chant. No wonder. Even an insignificant neophyte like me could experience the potency of the place, then what to speak of pure devotees.
4.7. Ahobila Narasimha Swamy
A 20minute walk took us back to Lower Ahobilam where we visited the Temple of Ahobila Narasimha Swamy. Fearing the invaders, the 6th Jeeyar of the Ahobila Math (the current Jeeyar is the 45th) hid the golden utsav deities of the Lord someplace in the temple and sealed that place. Its said that the 6th Jeeyar is still worshipping those deities in that sealed place. Few years ago the Chief Minister of the state started a project to unearth those golden deities. The contractor, his family, and the main engineer, all died. The project was scrapped. The deity in that temple is that of Ugra Narasimha. The cave also has in it a cot for the Lord, most probably for the times when He comes out of the temple for processions etc.
4.8. Karanja Narasimha Swamy
We returned the sticks, sat in our Sumos, and started off for Karanja Narasimha Swamy Temple, which is on the way back to the Sri Ahobila Math where we were put up. Lord Hanuman did a lot of tapasya in this place. Lord Narasimha appeared, but Hanuman refused to accept Him as his Lord. He longed for Lord Ramachandra. Lord Narasimha told Hanuman that He was indeed non-different from Lord Ramachandra. Still Hanuman did not accept. Then, the Lord showed Hanuman His form as Lord Ramachandra. Only then was Hanuman satisfied and started worshipping Him with folded palms. Due to this pastime, the Lord holds a bow in His left hand, like Lord Ramachandra, in this temple. The Lord appeared near a Karanja tree and hence the name Karanja Narasimha Swamy.
4.9. HG Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu
Needless to say, everyone was dead tired. We reached back to the Sri Ahobila Math at around 1630. Perfectly in time in order to get enough rest before the next day’s exertions start. I and Piyush Prabhu went with PMP to the place where he stays. It was a nice walk through the rural village of Ahobilam. PMP worships the deity of Sri Sri Radha Ahobileshwar in the place where he stays. I was barefoot again and was enjoying it. Sometime during this walk I think, one stone pierced my right foot near its base. After that walking barefoot was really some kind of austerity. But yet, I took it as mercy of the Lord.
Even as everyone was taking rest, SKCP was taking care of the organizational part of the trip. 6 new devotees had arrived from Hyderabad, and SKCP quickly arranged for their lodging, prasadam, guide, transport, etc. Without worrying about his own fatigue, he massaged the legs of the elderly devotees personally. Surely, he got a lot of blessings from all the devotees. Then we distributed the snacks to all devotees for the next day’s trek. Somewhere in between we also went out for a stroll. The weather was beautiful with a nice cool breeze. We had some lemon juice, bought some souvenirs, and so on. Then we settled most of the accounts with the Sri Ahobilam Math. And so many such things that kept us from going to bed. Finally, we slept at around 2300.
During the whole trip, there were so many organizational things to be done. That causes so much mental strain. But SKCP did all that without anyone else knowing anything about it. I was very impressed. SKCP is a great asset for Lord Chaitanya’s movement, and it was a privilege to assist him in serving the devotees.
Not only that, even while trekking, he kept encouraging everyone, especially the ones who were very tired. Someone told me that SKCP was the source of strength and inspiration for them. He was always jolly, always extending himself for helping out others, and always considering how to best serve the Vaishnavas. Hats off to SKCP! Three cheers for SKCP!!!
5. Day Four : The Paavana Experience!
After the hectic previous day, I did not wake up at 0300. But Piyush Prabhu did! Actually, at the end of the previous day’s exertions, Piyush Prabhu had developed severe pain in one of his knees. AvinashGovinda Prabhu (physiotherapist) told him that it was an internal ligament related pain and could get quite nasty. Despite all this, Piyush Prabhu still got up at 0300 and was ready by 0400 and set off to the Prahlada Varada Temple for chanting. I reached there at around 0530. I chanted most of my rounds before we left the Sri Ahobilam Math at around 0730. I also took quite a few snaps of the temple, and in particular of the magnificent gopuram.
5.1. Paavana Narasimha Swamy
It was Balaram Jayanti that day and most of the devotees were on a nirjal (without even water) fast till noon. The sumos took us to Lower Ahobilam. This time we trekked up the Garudadri. The previous day we had trekked up the Vedadri. The initial 1000-odd steps are followed by a 5km walk to the temple of Paavana Narasimha Swamy. Bharadwaj Muni had performed tapasya here to cleanse himself of all sins. Hence this deity is known as Paavana (purifying) Narasimha.
As soon as we started walking up the steps, we encountered the first signs of what was to follow. Blood! The Paavana Narasimha Swamy is associated with a most bewildering pastime. Lord Narasimha married a tribal girl Chenchu Laxmi (who appeared in the tribe called Chenchu) on the spot where the Paavana Narasimha Temple is situated. Now, these tribal people eat meat. In fact they sacrifice animals right in front of the temple and offer it to the Lord. Well, they don’t take the meat inside the temple, but they offer it to Him from outside. The temple is still a Sri Vaishnava Temple, and therefore, the pujaris wont allow any meat inside the temple.
As we climbed up, the surroundings became more and more pleasing. At one point, we could see the Malola Narasimha Temple as well as Prahlad’s school on the opposite hill. It was a beautiful sight. After the stairs finished, a beautiful slightly descending path weaved through the jungle as we steadily progressed to the Paavana Narasimha Temple. We offered some Prasadam to a person, but PMP warned us to not do so here. Who knows, these people could be naxalites too! I heard PMP chanting “Ugram Veeram, MahaVishnum, Jwalantam Sarvato Mukham; Narasimham Bheeshanam Bhadram, MrutyurMrutyu NamamiAham”. I also started chanting it.
On the way, at least 4 freshly sacrificed, freshly skinned, beheaded bodies of goats passed us. It was a gruesome sight. When we reached the temple after a one and a half hour walk, I was shocked even more. It was a Saturday, and PMP told me that the local tribesmen come here on Saturdays to sacrifice an animal whenever some of their material wishes get fulfilled. The place was full of tribesmen and tribeswomen. Though in saris, the women were shaven headed and reminded me of rakshasaas. The whole scene was more like a meat market than of a temple of Sri Vishnu. Dead cut-open carcasses hung upside down. Some people were even selling liquor. As we stood in line to take darshan of the Lord, we could see them skinning and cooking the heads of goats. All around were disturbing sights. I remember saying to Piyush Prabhu that this was as fearsome place.
But soon we got Darshan of the Lord and I relaxed a bit. Meanwhile, before standing in the line, PMP took a few of us to the house (cave) of Chenchu Laxmi. We climbed a small but steep hill barefoot. With some injury already to my foot, this was a challenge. But it was worth it. The cave has deities of Chenchu Laxmi, Hanuman, and Lord Narsimhadev. There also is a short tunnel through which we all went in order to perform a parikrama. It was frightening and exciting. The kids were jubilant! We spent quite some minutes up there. The stench of the dead meat below was repelling us and we preferred to be up here.
Soon we left the temple. On the way, the clock struck 12! There, right in the middle of the jungle, we all celebrated Balaram Jayanti! We placed small laminated photos of the Lord on the ground, resting against small rocks, and PMP led a kirtan. One of the most heart-touching moments of the trip, at least for me. This is the stuff the most cherished dreams are made of. After the kirtans we rested for 5-10 minutes, had some Prasadam and lots of water, and started walking again. In about an hour or so, we were back to Lower Ahobilam. Some devotees were really exhausted, but otherwise everyone was fine. We had our lunch Prasadam at the Math there (not the Sri Ahobila Math where we were put up). Nice and simple and soothing south Indian prasadam.
(SKCP and Me)
5.2. Mahanandi
After reaching back the Sri Ahobilam Math, we packed up quickly and left after paying obeisances to the holy dham of Ahobilam. The sumos then took us to a place called Mahanandi. It has a beautiful pond of crystal clear water whose source is unknown, and a temple of Lord Siva. Unfortunately, when we reached there, it was closed. We had our dinner Prasadam sitting on the earth there and then sat back in our sumos.
5.3. Back to Cuddappah and Pune
SKCP was with me in the sumo and we were very tired. PMP was also in the sumo as were Piyush Prabhu and his father. SKCP and I were having a nice time as if we had become kids once again. These are the moments I cherish most, and what’s more, these moments gives me a glimpse of what kind of joy awaits us in the spiritual world where we will be so close to Krishna. After about three hours, at around 2300, we reached the Cuddappah Railway Station. Everyone was very tired and very sticky with sweat. The waiting rooms of the station were very good and provided us good rest. Our hero, SKCP, boarded the 0030 train to Chennai, while the rest of us had to catch a morning train. We boarded the 0430 train. Quite some time we slept in the train. At other times, we talked about our trip very fondly. I spent a lot of time with AvinashGovind Prabhu and his wife, Piyush Prabhu and his father, and also Ugra Narasimha Prabhu, Nitin Prabhu and their wives. In the evening we had an hour or so of Bhajan Sandhya in which quite a few devotees sang various bhajans and kirtans. The whole atmosphere was surcharged with the holy name of Krishna! So many co-passengers would have surely benefited immensely. We reached Pune around 2330.
6. Epilogue
It was without question one of the most memorable experiences of my life. My heart was captured by the various places I visited and also by the inconceivable and sweet pastimes of the Lord. This is a long write-up, and yet I have surely missed so many things. But then, who has ever been able to capture the Lord? Days after I have returned from Ahobilam, some part of me still lingers on in Ahobilam, as if calling the rest of me back there again. Lord Narasimha was very merciful to all of us by letting us come to His abode and protecting us against all possible dangers. Devotees have been asking me for this article ever since I returned from Ahobilam. I hope that this article meets their expectations at least to some small degree. I pray that this article will inspire others to visit Ahobilam and get Lord Narasimha Dev’s mercy too.
aho veeryam aho shouryam aho bahu parakrame
naarsimhah param devam ahobilam ahobalam
Yours in the service of Krishna,
Abhijit.
