Ahobilam – Day 1 – Prahalada Badi & Nava Narasimha

Temples – Where mythology comes alive

Posted on January 26, 2012 by HOW

The idea behind a trip to Ahobilam came up out of the blue, out of some casual, idle browsing of the internet. A few travelogues sharing the trek
experiences was enough to give us a brain wave. Until then, Ahobilam only meant a famous pilgrim centre, we had no idea that Ahobilam was
also a trekker’s paradise. Goes to show how little we really know about places we simply take for granted.

Before we knew, a trip to Ahobilam was planned. It was the first time we were making a trip as a big group and the planning was made easy
because one of the guys knew someone working in the Endowments Department. Republic Day, 2012 fell on a Thursday, so we planned a two
day trip to Ahobilam.

Ahobilam is one of the most important religious centres dedicated to Lord Narasimha. Located in the Nallamala Hill range in Andhra Pradesh,
apart from being a pilgrim centre, the other chief attraction of Ahobilam is adventure trekking to the 9 Narasimha temples located in the thick
forests of the surrounding hills and that was our target.

A 9 member team set off from Hyderabad in 3 cars, 2 Figos and a Chervy Spark, fondly called the “Gas Gaadi” because it ran on CNG. We
started from Hyderabad around 7 AM. From Hyderabad, Ahobilam is close to 350 kms via Kurnool and Nandyal. The other popular pilgrim
centres like Mahanadi and Yaganti are also close to Ahobilam, most people cover Ahobilam, Mahanandi and Yaganti in one trip. Our interest
though was the Ahobilam trek.

Hyderabad to Kurnool on NH7 takes exactly 2 hours if one drives non-stop, unless you are foodie like us who has to make the mandatory
breakfast stop. We stopped at Jadcherla, 45 minutes from Hyderabad for a breakfast of idly, dosa and vada – the Holy Trinity if you worship food
!

On this highway, at speeds averaging 120 km/hr, you won’t even realise when Kurnool arrives until you see the Thungabhadra river and if you
are travelling to Ahobilam, this is where you have to take leave of the NH and head on to the State Highways. The NHs and SHs are a world
apart but the road from Kurnool to Nandyal and to Ahobilam, though a double road, was decent enough.

We reached Ahobilam by lunch time. We first went to check our accommodation reserved at the temple run cottage with the help of our contact
at the Endowments Department. We were in for a surprise because of the 3 rooms we had requested, only one was available because some VIP
was visiting and had taken over the entire building ! Well, if it is a matter of a VIP, VIPs (Very Insignificant People) like us can’t do much, so we
let it be and freshened up in the only room available.

Lunch was arranged at the temple dining area where they serve free meals as temple prasadam. This meal is served every day at lunch time
and open to all devotees, since we were going to reach slightly late, we had informed them before hand. The food is simple and traditional and
you will love the humble experience of a common meal.

One interesting thing about Ahobilam is that in a place where the Narasimha avatar of Lord Vishnu is worshiped, the Varaha avatar is more
prominent. We mean pigs, Ahobilam seems to have a huge population of pigs, some of them were so aggressive that we had to get out of the
way!

Post lunch, we got down to the actual business. Ahobilam has two main areas – Diguva (Lower) Ahobilam and Eguva (Upper Ahobilam). Diguva
Ahobilam is located at the foothills of the Nallamala range. The main temple of Ahobilam called the Prahalada Varadha Temple is located at
Lower Ahobilam. Eguva Ahobilam is located in the hills on an 8 km ghat road and houses the Ahobila Narasimha temple. In addition to these two
primary temples, there are 8 other temples for Lord Narasimha and two other spots associated with the Hindu Mythology – the entire set forms
part of the Ahobilam trek.

The Nava Narasimha temples or the 9 temples are:

1. Ahobila Narasimha, the main temple located at Upper Ahobilam
2. Karanja Narasimha, located on the way to Upper Ahobilam

3. Malola Narasimha, can only be reached by a 2 km trek from Upper Ahobilam Temple

4. Kroda Narasimha, also called Varaha Narasimha Temple, half a kilometer trek from Upper Ahobilam Temple, on the way to Malola Narasimha

5. Pavana Narasimha, 7 km trek (one way) from Upper Ahobilam temple

6. Jwala Narasimha, 5 km trek from Upper Ahobilam temple

7. Bhargava Narasimha, Lower Ahobilam, reachable by road

8. Chatravata Narasimha, Lower Ahobilam, accessible by road

9. Yogananda Narasimha, Lower Ahobilam, road access.

Apart from the 9 Narasimha temples, there are two other important spots – Prahalada Badi or Prahalada’s school and Ugra Sthambam, a huge
rock which is believed to be the pillar from where Lord Narasimha emerged.

There is a map of the location of all 9 temples and the other two spots at the Temple Guest House, it is of great help in planning the trek. Of all
the places, the trek to Ugra Sthambam is supposed to be the toughest and risky.

Ahobilam is associated with legends and stories, its exact history is not very clear but from whatever information is available, the temple has
been in existence for atleast a 1000 years. As for mythology and legends, the entire story of Narasimha avatar and killing of the demon king
Hiranyakashipu is believed to have taken place here, the first of the stories any Hindu kid grows up listening to !

It was 3 PM by then, the main temple at Lower Ahobilam was closed and would open only after 5 PM, so we decided to complete visits to the
temples that were easier to trek. The difficult treks were put off to the next day because we had to get back before darkness. We went to the
Administrative office to find someone who would come along to guide us, it is advisable to take someone to guide you to avoid getting lost in the
forest !

Eguva Ahobilam
We drove to Upper Ahobilam, the 8 km ghat road is good, surrounded by dense forests on all sides. Half way up, we stopped at the Karanja
Narasimha Temple, first of the Nava Narasimha temples we visited. The 9 temples are actually small shrines, this one is called the Karanja
Narasimha because it is located under a Karanji tree, the temple is right beside the road. The entire forest area is full of different species of birds
and we had a bird enthusiast among us who pointed out some interesting ones, we even followed an Asian Paradise Flycatcher into the woods
but it kept flying away with a whoosh of its long tail and hiding itself ! This was temple no.1 that we visited.
From the Karanja Narasimha temple, we went to the Ahobila Narasimha temple, which is the primary temple at Upper Ahobilam and also the
central point from where the treks to other temples branch out. Near the parking lot, there is a U-shaped rock, that looks like Lord Vishnu’s
namam. During the rainy season, there is a waterfall from the rock.
From here, one has to climb around 70 very steep steps to reach the temple, these 70 steps will leave you too tired to even think of other treks !
The Ahobila Narasimha temple is inside a small cave, the idol is engraved on a rock. Ahobila Narasimha was temple n0. 2 in our list.
Prahalada Badi trek
Treks to other temples at Upper Ahobilam begin from here. Just to the left of the gopuram, there is a small entrance leading to the starting point
of the treks. On the other side of the entrance you walk into the forest. There is a picturesque yet scary looking bridge leading to the trek
pathways. The bridge is built along the temple wall with iron rods holding it up, below is a rock strewn stream path. You don’t want to imagine
what would happen if the iron rods or the wood planks give away !
The walk is over boulders so wooden bridges like this have been built for convenience. It turns out to be an inconvenience because monkeys
use these places to have a chit chat session. Most of the time they don’t seem to bother about people but one can never predict monkey
business !
Beyond this bridge, the pathway deviates into the different directions leading to the temples. The Krodha Narasimha Temple is also located here
but we chose to visit the Malola Narasimha Temple, 2 kms away and Prahalada Badi, both located in the same direction.

A little walk ahead, we found an ancient mandapa that must have been resting place for devotees.
Look at the precision in placing of the pillars of the mandapa, they seem to have taken so much care even for a way side resting place.
From here the pathway becomes steep with steps cut out of rocks.
The steps end in an even steeper rock path that goes over the edge of the hill, one look down is enough to make your head swirl but you will
enjoy the walk surrounded by nature on all sides.
Malola Narasimha temple
After half an hour trek, we reached the Malola Narasimha Temple.
Malola means Mahalakshmi Lola or Mahalakshmi’s Beloved, the Narasimha idol here has Goddess Lakshmi sitting on his lap.

Prahalada’s school 
To the left of the temple, there is a passage leading to Prahalada Badi or Prahalada’s school, it is 1 km trek from the temple. The trek is similar to
the previous trek, except at the end where there are steps right on the edge and deep valley below. We had to be very cautious here.
Prahalada Badi is a flat, rocky area on the hill. This is where Prahalada is believed to have attended gurukul, residential schools of the Krta or
Satya Yuga !
The place is so silent and peaceful, we concluded that must have been the reason why Prahalada became a scholar at such a young age.

There is another temple inside a tiny cave here, the Narasimha idol is believed to have been installed by Prahalada himself. The steps leading
upto this temple are in such a ruined state, it is not for the weak-hearted.
We sat in the school area for a while hoping to catch some of Prahalada’s wisdom but then realised, some people are just hopeless !

We trekked back to the Malola Narasimha temple. There is a route from here to Jwala Narasimha temple, it was already 5.30 PM and past
closing time for all the temples, we planned to do it the next day.

The drive back to Lower Ahobilam was beautiful as the sun was setting in the valley and we drove through the forest that turned gold in the blaze
of the setting sun. We wanted to stop and take pictures but preferred to just sit back and relish the views.

Diguva Ahobilam temple

It was 6 PM when we reached Diguva Ahobilam. We visited the Prahalada Varadha Temple. Even on a public holiday, surprisingly, the temple
was not crowded and we had a quick darshan.

After the darshan, we waited at the Administrative office for information regarding accommodation, we waited for almost an hour and whiled time
swatting swarms of mosquitoes ! We then decided to hunt for accommodation because all 9 of us could not fit into a single room. We found a
small choultry near the temple to stay for the night. We split up into two groups, one group staying at the temple guest house and the other at the
choultry, not a great place but enough for one night if one is able to adjust. AP Tourism also has Haritha Hotel at Ahobilam but accommodation
has to be booked in advance.

The entire town of Ahobilam is centred around the temple. There are hardly any residential areas, just a few shops and very few hotels. We
found a Kannada hotel near the temple where we were served a hot meal for dinner. This seemed to be the only decent place to eat. In tiny
towns like this, the day ends very early. By 9 PM, the entire town had gone to bed, the roads were deserted when we went for a walk. Having
nothing else to do, we too joined the rest of the town and hit the sack.

Every corner of Ahobilam resounds with the story of Prahalada and Lord Narasimha, one gets the feeling of living in the mythological world 

Ahobilam – Day 2 – Nava Narasimha temples – The

trek to Divinity
Posted on January 27, 2012 by HOW

The alarm rang at 4.30 AM on Day 2. We had long treks lined up for the day to cover the remaining Nava Narasimha temples, we wanted to start
before sunrise, finish by 3 PM and start back to Hyderabad. It was biting cold outside, surprising because in this part of the country the weather
is a constant – hot and dry ! We had to literally beg the lady attendant for hot water, she was annoyed that we woke her up that early.

By 6 AM, we were waiting for the guide to meet us near the temple. When he showed no signs of turning up and tired of waiting for him, we
headed for breakfast at the hotel where we had dinner the previous day. Steaming hot idlies, vada and pongal – the equivalents of bliss !

The guide finally made an appearance at 7 AM after several visits to the Administrative office, which wasn’t so bad because one has to pass
through the temple to go to the office which meant we got our share of the morning pulihora prasadam !

We drove to Eguva Ahobilam and began our trek. We had told the guide that we wanted to first go to the Jwala Narasimha Temple and the Ugra
Sthambam because they were very difficult treks and we wanted to complete them first. We had no idea that this important instruction was not
understood by the guide because he lead us to the trek to Pavana Narasimha Temple !

Pavana Narasimha Temple trek

The trek to Pavana Narasimha Temple begins just next to the Ahobila Narasimha Temple, it is a 7 kms trek, one way. One can also hire a jeep
to take you to the temple but we decided to trek because it is more fun. It is advisable to borrow sticks available near the temple, they are helpful
in getting a better grip while trekking. These sticks have to be returned once you come back.

One has to climb steep steps at the beginning of the trek, these steps are not counted in numbers but in kilometers – almost 2 kilometers of
steps ! That you will be drained by the time you climb these steps goes without saying. Half way up, we got a view of the Malola Narasimha
temple nestled in the middle of the forests on the opposite mountain, it was hard to believe that we had trekked all the way up the previous day.
When we finally reached the top of the steps, sweating and aching, we asked the guide how far the Pavana Narasimha temple was – another 5
kms, the answer was enough to exhaust us and we were not even half way up our first trek and we still had tough treks ahead !

Pulling up all our energies, we continued the trek. The steps gave way to rocky pathways winding through the jungle.
The morning walk in the jungle was the ultimate kind of peace, the silence was broken every now and then by the sounds of different birds and
insects going about their daily morning routine. The forest here is very thick but does not have too many wild animals, we were told apart from
hordes of monkeys, wild boars, bears usually roamed around the forests.

The trek seemed never ending, deeper and deeper into the jungle we went.
The sticks that we brought along were very useful in helping us get a grip on the rocky, sometimes steep path, it was easier to walk with them for
support. We also felt very exposed in the forest, what would happen if a wild animal made an appearance or what if wayside thugs decided to
rob us – nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, nobody to call for help. Every movement made us jump thinking some animal or some anti-social
element was lurking behind the trees !
Taking a guide along is the most sensible thing to do even for the most adventurous people, mobile phones don’t work here, there are no sign
boards to show the way, hardly anybody around to ask for directions, would not be surprising if even the authorities are unable to trace you !

When we were on the verge of losing our energies and tired of all the walking, we found a board directing us to the temple. A kilometer trek later,
we reached the Pavana Narasimha Temple, a small temple located in a valley. If you are the kind who expects something grand at the end of an
arduous task, you will be disappointed but the whole point of the Ahobilam trek is to enjoy the trekking experience.
When we checked our watches, it was 9.30 AM, we had been walking for the last 2 hours ! We had a quick darshan, there are a few stalls selling
puja items and some refreshments. We rested for a few minutes to re-energise and began the trek back.

Of all the 9 temples, this one alone is entirely on a different route, so one to has to trek the entire way back to the starting point and then take the
route to other temples, which meant we had to walk back the 7 kms, making it a 14 kms trek !

The return trek was more tiring mentally than physically because in our mind we knew we had to trek for another 1 1/2 hour atleast. In some
places we had to trek up the slope because in the onward trek, the path towards the temple was down the slope. Soon we began to really tire
and we decided we were not going to try the trek to Jwala Narasimha and Ugra Sthambam, the two very tough treks. We were too exhausted
and hungry to even think of them. The only saving grace was that we had to climb down the 2 kms steps, climbing down is always easy.

As we descended the steps and got a view of the main temple, a kilometer away, we could hear the sounds of Nadaswaram. We thought it was
coming from the temple loud speakers. When we actually reached the bottom of the steps, this is what we found.
This young man was practising Nadaswaram all by himself. The sound of the Nadaswaram echoed off the hills and got magnified which we
could hear a kilometer away ! This was enough to lift our spirits, we were amazed by the natural loud speakers !

When we reached the end of the trek, we felt like victorious soldiers. It was past 12 noon and though we were weary, the travel enthusiast in us
wasn’t willing to give us a rest, we decided to visit the remaining temples that were easily accessible – Krodha Narasimha, Chatravata
Narasimha and Yogananda Narasimha.

Krodha Narasimha temple

Krodha Narasimha Temple is half a kilometer walk from the main temple at Upper Ahobilam and since we were already there, we decided to trek
the short distance, if we had trekked 14 kms, another 1 km was not going to harm. It turned out to be the most difficult 500 meters walk of our
lives. After the long trek, our bodies had relaxed and the actual pains began to surface, our legs seemed heavy and we literally dragged
ourselves to the temple. It felt like our legs were using us for walking instead of the other way round ! But, the feeling of ticking off one more
temple from the list more than made up for the pain.
Chatravata Narasimha Temple
It was a huge sigh of relief when we visited the temple and returned back. Without a second thought, we drove back to Lower Ahobilam, we were
starving by then. We still had the energy or let’s say the interest to drive to the Chatravata Narasimha Temple, this temple is 2 kms from Lower
Ahobilam and is located on the highway and accessible by road. The priest had just closed the temple for the afternoon and was driving back,
somebody else ahead of us saw him on the way, stopped him and made him go back and open the temple! Thanks to them, we didn’t have to go
disappointed.
Yogananda Narasimha temple
From here, we drove to the Yogananda Narasimha temple very close by. All these temples have been renovated in recent times.
It is a wonder how people of the ancient times managed to trek to all these places and install idols of Lord Narasimha, wonder whose great idea
it was !

Back at lower Ahobilam, we were famished. We quickly packed our stuff, made one last visit to the administrative office to thank them for their
help, clicked a picture of the Prahalada Varada Temple, the main temple and took leave of Ahobilam.
We promised ourselves that we would come back again and complete the treks to the other temples that we couldn’t do in this trip.

We then drove to Allagadda for lunch, the Abhiruchi hotel on the highway was supposed to be famous. How famous it was, we came to know,
only after reaching there and finding the place overflowing with people ! We had to wait for half an hour to find a place to sit, it was an agonising
wait because we were hit by severe hunger pangs ! Our patience paid off when we were served a delicious Andhra meal, a fitting end to our
tiring adventure.Starting the journey back by 3.30 PM, we reached Hyderabad in 6 hours.

People go on these treks and visit the temples to seek Divine blessings, as you walk through the mountains and the forests, listening to the
songs of nature, you realise that Divinity does not exist only in the temples but resides in every bit of nature, every single being – everything
around us is Divine, we just have to feel the oneness with it !

That was the philosophy part of it. The stiff, painful muscles and body aches – that is a story for another day !

You can contact Mr.Siva 9491680313 or you could find out from the AP Tourism Haritha Resort, most guides are associated with them.
Ahobilam Trek – Jwala Narasimha Swamy temple –
Meet the Angry Lord !
Posted on February 20, 2014 by HOW

Our last trip to Ahobilam in January 2012 ended a little abruptly because we were too exhausted after trekking 14 kms to one of the Nava
Narasimha Temple. Since then, Ahobilam would crop up in our travel plans every now and then but either it was too hot or it was just after the
rains and risky to trek. Finally, close to 2 years after our first trip, during the 2nd week of December 2013, we set off on another trip to Ahobilam,
a group of 10 people in 3 cars.

Of the Nava Narasimha temples, we had visited 7 in our previous trip. The Jwala Narasimha and Bhargava Narasimha temples along with the
trek to the Ugra Sthambham were on our list this time. 
Kurnool – Ahobilam road – You car’s endurance test !
Being punctual to the Hyderabad Standard Time, we started our journey at 11 AM, 2 hours behind schedule. Where we had planned to have
lunch at Ahobilam directly at 2 PM, we stopped for lunch at Kurnool at the New Taj Palace hotel, located just after the Kurnool Toll Plaza. These
days, driving on NH44 upto Kurnool is nothing short of driving in the city ! There were no complaints though, the food was simply awesome. Most
restaurants in Hyderabad seem to be following the same standard recipes and the food isn’t different from one restaurant to the other and so the
spicy hot food at Kurnool was a welcome break.

We took the Nandyal road from Kurnool towards Ahobilam, while the National Highway is sleek as ever, this road is in a terrible shape. Potholes
everywhere, in some places there is no road at all, just a gravel and dirt track. In fact, when we reached Nandyal, there was chaos, roads being
laid, flyover construction, traffic and pigs running in the middle of the din ! On the bright side, the road was being relaid, so hopefully the next
time we pass through the Kurnool-Nandyal highway, things would have improved.

Satsang at Ahobilam !
By the time we inched our way out of the bad roads, the sun was already setting for day.
It was 7 PM when we reached Ahobilam, an 8 hour journey for 350 kms ! We checked into AP Tourism’s hotel, the rooms had been booked
earlier through the internet. Haritha hotels are usually pleasant to stay at.

We visited the Prahalada Varada Temple at Diguva (Lower) Ahobilam and spent some time at the temple admiring the sculpture and having a
story telling session on Lord Narasimha Avatar, there were some people in our group who didn’t the know story !

Dinner was at the Udipi Hotel near the temple. This humble hotel offers the best food in Ahobilam. Run by an elderly Brahmin, the hotel serves
you simple vegetarian food, the food tastes heavenly !

Reaching Ahobilam late meant, we had to drop our plans of visiting Bhargava Narasimha temple, one more unfinished task at Ahobilam. We
turned in early for the night as we had a long trek ahead of us.

Trek to Jwala Narasimha Swamy Temple

Our trek began early next morning after breakfast at the same Udipi Hotel. After our guide from the temple dumped us by not turning up, we
engaged another guide associated with AP Tourism hotel.
We drove up to Upper Ahobilam, had a quick darshan of Ahobila Narasimha Swamy and began our trek. It was almost like retracing the path of
our previous trip upto the Krodha Narasimha Swamy temple. From here the trek took a deviation towards the Jwala Narasimha Swamy temple.
Immediately the scenes around us changed, we were in the thick forest, sunlight struggled to stream in through the tree cover, this coupled with
the morning chillness was refreshing.
The trek to Jwala Narasimha Temple is not very taxing, though you have to negotiate your way through rocky paths like
this. 

The 30 minute trek will leave you a little tired, especially if it is a hot day but the silence of the forest and the greenery of the hills somehow seem
to give you all the energy. Half way up the trek, we spotted the Ugra Sthambham, our next trek destination. One look at it was enough to give
this writer some serious jitters !
We joked a bit about the trek and the risks until our guide chided us politely that trekking in Ahobilam was supposed to be done with sincerity and
total surrender to Lord Narasimha, he said the treks were little risky, the forests were full of wild animals and the grace of Lord Narasimha alone
would get us back safely ! While we respected his point of view and decided to shut up, it also got us thinking why do we link fear to devotion?
Was the fear of the unknown the main reason why man began considering an all protective Divine Force in the first place?

Centre of all the action !

Moving on, the Jwala Narasimha Swamy Temple is on the edge of a hill, almost like a rock cave temple, when you see it from a distance, it looks
like an opening on the face of the hill.
As you reach the narrow path leading to the temple, this view is sure to leave you stunned !
A waterfall cascades down the hill forming curtain over the narrow pathway leading to the temple and you actually walk behind this waterfall.
There was just a spray of water in December, if you visit this place just after the rains, you will have to walk behind a full fledged waterfall. Even
walking behind that light drizzle of waterfall was a thrilling experience for us, just imagine if the waterfall was full !

We were told this waterfall is called the “Akasha Ganga”, the waterfall is believed to have been sent down from Heaven to cool down Lord
Narasimha’s anger after killing the demon Hiranyakasipu.

It is a little slippery here and the path runs along the edge. It ought to be scary but thankfully,there is a barrier between the path and the edge so
you don’t stray too close to the edge, just be careful of your step, if you slip you might break your back and slip a little too hard over the barrier,
there is no saying where you will land up !
Along the path, you will find a tiny water hole with muddy coloured water oozing out, our guide told us it was called the “Rakhta Kundam”,
believed to be a pool of water where Lord Narasimha washed his hands after killing Hiranyakasipu and to this day the water oozing out has a
reddish tinge ! You could always say it is because of the colour of the soil but isn’t it more interesting to believe Lord Narasimha really touched
these waters?
The Jwala Narasimha Swamy temple is actually a small shrine located under a rock shelter, the temple structure is probably a few decades old.
Inside there are idols of Lord Narasimha killing the demon with idols of other Gods standing as witnesses. Our guide told us that the entire area
of Ahobilam was actually Hiranyakasipu’s palace and it was at the spot where the temple stood that Lord Narasimha actually killed the demon.
Jwala means flame and this is where Lord Narasimha was at the peak of his anger.

One of the rock panels on which the idols are sculpted has figures of Lord Narasimha fighting the demon and water drips on only Lord
Narasimha from the rocks above while the figure of Hiranyakasipu is dry ! This again was meant to cool the angry Lord. Of course, the idols are
positioned in such a way, still, it makes an interesting story !
After offering our prayers, we prepared for ourselves to the most exciting part of our trek, the trek to Ugra Sthambham. Before that, the Akasa
Ganga cast a beautiful rainbow as the sun shone through the droplets of the waterfall.

Sometimes, more than the fear of the unknown or the stories of miracles, it is in this simple and soft beauty of nature around you that you really
feel presence of Divine !

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Ahobilam Trek – Ugra Sthambham – Where faith
meets adventure
Posted on February 25, 2014 by HOW

For many in our group, the trek to Ugra Sthambham, was something they had been looking forward for a long time, especially since our
incomplete trip of 2012, for some like this writer, it was a trek they had been dreading ever since the place was spotted on the internet ! Every
blog we read seemed to highlight one thing – the trek was strenuous, risky and only God’s grace could see you through safely ! Our guide,
however, assured us that it was perfectly safe and with that faith, we embarked on this trek.
Pillar of Anger !
The Narasimha Avatar of Lord Vishnu is probably the most interesting one, Lord Vishnu finds a way through every loophole in Hiranyakasipu’s
boon to eventually kill the demon, it is definitely an inspiration for those in the legal profession, finding loopholes in laws ! The creativity of the
story is amazing. The avatar also represents the destructive anger and ferocity of the Supreme Being and no better place to relive the story than
Ahobilam, more specifically at Ugra Sthambham or the Pillar of Anger.

Before we began the trek, we met a few old men on the way to the Jwala Narasimha Temple, they looked at us and laughed when we told them
we were going to the Ugra Sthambham, they told us it was an almost impossible trek, especially for women but ironically, while his wife was
away on the trek, he was cooling his heels waiting for her ! What do you do while on one side your friends are raring to go and on the other side,
there are people like these old men to fill your mind with doubts? We decided we’d go for it and see it for ourselves !

A trek to remember !
The Ugra Sthambham is a huge rock jutting out of a mountain cliff, it is believed to be the pillar from where Lord Narasimha emerged. The trek
begins just a few meters from the waterfall near Jwala Narasimha Temple. One look at the starting point of the trek is enough to drain all the
resolve from the minds of people like this writer, for, there is no pathway, just a steep climb on a terrain like this !
The trek is a steep climb at almost 80 degrees incline, when you look up, it is like one straight vertical line. If not for the force of gravity, there
doesn’t seem any way you stay put on the face of the hill ! You have to find your way through rocks, interspersed with loose soil here and there.
While it is not as dangerous as it sounds, you ought to be careful, watchful of your step, if you slip, there is no saying if it is luck or God who will
save you !

Our regular photographer gave up on the camera, too busy paying attention to noise the racing heart was making. These pictures are from
another camera, whose owner had a brave heart to stop to take pictures while negotiating the terrain !
In most places, you don’t have anything to hold on to, the sticks that you carry are helpful at times to get a grip. At times, you would find an odd
tree trunk or a branch or hanging roots for support as you haul yourself up, sometimes you go on all fours and clamber up like a giant lizard !
From the blogs we read, some people seemed to have gone on this trek during or just after the rainy season, because in such slippery
conditions, the trek becomes dangerous !
After about half an hour of climbing, we again spotted the Ugra Sthambham high above us, true to its name, it looks angry and uninviting !
A closer look through the zoom lens shows the dangerous looking spot on the edge of the rock that is supposed to be destination of the trek, a
small shrine with figures of Lord Narasimha’s foot prints.
Around this spot, our guide told us, we were half way through our trek ! The path ahead looked steeper than before but somehow we weren’t as
tired as we expected, whatever strain we felt had more to do with being careful or a little scared than actual physical exertion. 
Thoughts on spirituality in the wilderness
We also spotted a group of people returning from Ugra Sthambham, people of all age groups, women clad in sarees, people wearing flimsy
sandals, most unsuitable for treks like these. When you look at them you’d think there is no way they could have made it all the way up, yet,
there they were, tired, some scared, some limping through their way down, there was just one thing common in all of them – the chanting of Lord
Narasimha’s name, their strength came from their faith !

Then, there were people like those in our group, who were out on an adventure and enjoying themselves, their strength came from their faith in
themselves, their ability to scale the difficult terrain. Out there in the wilderness, surrounded by nature, thoughts on spirituality cross your mind, is
there anything as right and wrong, truth and illusion, belief and non-belief, Supreme Being or just what exists before you at that moment !

Know your place in the Universe 

Just as we seemed to get slightly comfortable with the terrain, we reached the last leg of the trek, there is a climb over a few rocks, going right
over the edge, a little tricky and it helps not to look down from here ! No, we can’t show you how it looks, the camera lay in our bag, forgotten for
a while !

A few meters later, there is another scary looking path. A three feet rock bridge with no support on either side, except a sad looking railing built
with some sticks and an abrupt drop to the cliff on either side ! Most blogs we read had warned us of this and it was really a heart in your mouth
moment while crossing this bit, the smooth, slippery rocks add to the chills and the thrills !

The camera had to come out now, to show the world that this path had been treaded upon by us and we survived to tell the story ! For the
photographer, it was one of those “I too did it” moments !

From the above spot, the trek leads to the rock that is supposed to be the holy pillar. To reach the actual shrine, there is another steep climb
down the rock. There are no steps, just a few rocks that serve as steps, no railings to hold on to and you are already on top of the highest point
of the hill range !
Despite several assurances from our guide and encouragement from our friends, a few of us decided we had already stretched our limit to the
maximum and did not want any more adrenalin rush. The rest of the gang began their descent while we stayed at the top of Ugra Sthambham
but lost ourselves in the middle of those giant, green, wall of hills in front of us !
There was no other sound except the wind finding its way through the hills. From where we stood, there were hills in front of us, behind us and
deep valleys in between. When our group reached the final point, we could see them in the distance as tiny specks with those gigantic hills in the
background.
Sort of gives you a perspective on where you stand in the universe. So much for our bloated egos, burdening problems and our stories, it all
boils down to this, we are not even a speck in the grandeur of the Universe ! You must stand there and let the feeling sink in, for some reason it
is liberating to think you are just one of the zillion other things that simply come and go !

The group that went down told us it was not a very tough descent except at a few places where you needed to be a little watchful of your step
and not be afraid of heights. At the tip of the cliff, you can do a Pradakshina around the footprints of Lord Narasimha, the Pradakshina takes you
right to the edge with just a few feet between you and the valley, thrilling and nail biting for ones actually doing it and for those watching from
above.

It was a fulfilling experience for the devotees and the adventure seekers alike, the reasons seem different but the end is the same for everyone,
happiness !

Trekking back – Another story in itself 

It is not a happily ever after once the visit to Ugra Sthambham is over, not yet, you still have to climb down the steep hill and that is as
treacherous as the ascent, in fact much more tricky. The steep descent gives you a feeling that you are going to roll down any minute, while
climbing down is always considered easy, here, it is definitely the difficult part.

At some places we found it easier to sit and climb down, finding a balance was better this way. Strange thoughts come to you in times like these,
what if you are stranded in the middle of nowhere, what if you sprain an ankle? Left out in the open, at the mercy of nature and your own luck,
you realize at some point you will think of God or some force beyond you and that is what keeps us going, whether an adventure trek or life.

In the end, all was well, the trek was completed successfully. We were tired, no doubt, but excited and thrilled at what we had accomplished,
even our bodies felt good after all the exertion.

It was almost lunch time when we reached our hotel and checked out before heading to Hyderabad. We stopped for lunch at Hotel Abhiruchi
near Allagadda, our second visit to this hotel and it did not disappoint us, spicy, rejuvenating food after a strenuous adventure. It took us almost 8
hours to reach Hyderabad after struggling our way out of the bad roads between Nandyal and Kurnool.
We took pride in our stamina that we were cool after such a difficult trek. The next day we realized we had spoken too soon. Extremely painful
thigh and calf muscles meant it took this writer 3 days to walk normally !

One more visit is due to Ahobilam to visit the Bhargava Narasimha Swamy temple. We hope to do it sometime for sure, may be after the roads
are in a better shape.

Info tidbits
- Ahobilam, being an important pilgrim centre is connected by bus from most major towns in Andhra Pradesh. Nandyal is probably the nearest
railway station.

- The temple has a few cottages/guest houses for accommodation, the Malola Guest House being the most preferable of the lot. The best option
is AP Tourism’s Haritha Hotel, bookings can be made online through AP Tourism’s online booking website.

- You will need two days to complete treks to all the 9 Narasimha Swamy temples and the Ugra Sthambham. It is always advisable to take a
guide along as the treks take you deep into the forests and you could lose your way.

- Start your treks as early as possible so that you have enough time and do the difficult/long ones first so you have energy left for the others.

- Except the trek to Ugra Sthambham, all other treks are relatively easy but tiring. You need to have a good amount of stamina and an interest to
explore the places.

- The Ugra Sthambham trek is definitely worth going, we wouldn’t say it is dangerous but strenuous and looks scary. If you want to go, make
sure you trust yourself and be careful. Avoid it if you can’t take physical strain. Do not risk going on this trek during the rains or just after the
rains. It could be the ultimate adventure experience but it is way too risky in that season.

- Take enough water during the treks but don’t start the treks after a heavy breakfast or lunch.

- Be responsible enough and don’t litter or throw garbage in the forest.

- The treks are a trekker’s paradise and you can have a lot of fun as part of your adventure but do remember that Ahobilam is a holy place and
respect the sanctity of the place.

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