Thondanur Narasimha temple
Brief History of the place:

As we know Sri Sri Ramanujacharya, who hurriedly came out of Srirangam in Tamilnadu, settled down in Thondanur for an extended period, about 1000 years ago. From here Sri Ramanuja propagated Vishisthadwaitha Siddhantha in Karnataka. Working from Thondanur, he reinstated Sri Sri Thirunarayana temple at Melukote, which is about 10miles/15km away. After a great search for Uthsavamoorthy for Thirunarayanaswamy, Sri Yathiraja found the beautiful moorthy at Delhi with the Badshah’s daughter "BIBI". It is said that Sri Yemberumanar affectionately called the moorthy " SELVAPILLAI VAARAAI" (Selvapillai please come) and the Uthsavamoorthy started coming closer & closer to Him. This is the moorthy which we have in Melukote today.

During Sri Yathiraja’s stay at Thondanur, he answered questions from several other religious heads simultaneously from behind a curtain in the form of ADISHESHA. He is seen in ADISHESHA AVATHAR in Sri Narasimhar temple. While at Thondanur, Sri Yathiraja showed some of his powers in driving away the Evil Spirits from the daughter of King Bitti Devaraya. Impressed by his TEJAS BEARING PERSONALITY, TEACHINGS AND POWERS of Sri Ramanuja, the Hoysala King BITTI DEVARAYA, who was a Jain, got blessed by no other than Sri Yatheendra, became a Vaishnava and was given the name of " VISHNU VARDHANA".



Nambinarayana Temple at Thondanur Nov 2001

Sri Ramanuja installed "THONDAR" as a high priest of SRI NAMBINARAYANA temple at Thondanur to take care of the temple. This temple was constructed by the Hoysala dynasty and was built as a prototype to the Belur Chennakesava temple and is over 1000 years old. Large artistic pillars inside the temple resemble the pillars seen in the Belur temple. Sri Nambinarayana is in Samasrayana position with Shankam in the right hand (instead of left hand as normal) and Chakram in the left hand (instead of right hand as normal).


Yemberumanar is responsible for the beautiful lake at Thondanur. It is said that the water has never dried since it was created. There are small man-made waterfalls and canals, making it a great water sport attraction particularly for the kids. The water is so clear that the king Tippu Sultan called it "MOTI TALAB ", as one could see the PEARL fallen from his broken necklace in the clear waters

Yes Thondanur means immediately you can go to flash back mode to our Udayavar's era and time. A Shivate king Koluthunga Chola was ruling the South at that time. He was a staunch Shivate. He had an evil Minster named Nalluran. He did not like our Vaishnavism growing, so he poisoned the ears of the King and told him that he should take it in writing from all the Religious head that Shiva is greatest of all. Particularly he did not like our Udayavar's and Our Vaishtaadwaithams growth. Then some how news reached Udayavar's camp that kings men are coming take him to Kings court. Sensing trouble Our Koorath Alwan convinces Ramanujacharya to undertake Pilgrimage. Saying this Koorath Alwan and our Ramanujacharya exchanged their clothes. Then Kings man took away Koorath Alwan and rest is history. Meanwhile our Udayavar traveled along the river Cauvery's course and ultimately reached Thondanur in Melnadu ( Present day Karnataka ) One of the Pradhana Shishiya named Thondanur Nambi his disciple was happy to play host to his beloved Acharya . But problem was lot of disciple had also come along with Our beloved Acharya , Nambi was not rich. Then knowing this our Acharya Valal Sent word to Katalaivari and Kongupratti and they donated 1000 Gold coins, with this daily Bhagavath Aradhanam and Thadi Aradhanam was held nicely. At that time Hoysala was ruled by Bitti Deva and he was a follower of Jainism. Once Nambi went to Palace and found it was gloomy. Then he asked Raja what is the problem. For that he told his daughter is processed by Brahmarakshas and even my Jain Guru's could not do anything. For that Nambi told My guru is here and he will cure. For that Bitti Deva told if that miracle happens he will become the followers of Udayavar. Then Udayavar went to palace, he was welcomed by the King and queen Then the princess came and did act of mad woman. Then Ramujar Sprinkled the Holy water from his kamandalam. Then she fainted and when she regained consciousness , she was turned a new leaf. Such is the mahima of our Udayavar. Then seeing this King and queen bowed to our Acharya and asked him to accept as disciples, Our Acharya accepted them and He did a Namakranam to King as Vishnuvardhan.( In memory of this great event, the king built five Vaishnava temples Channiga Narayana temple at Belur, Nambi Narayana temple at Thondanur, Keerthi Narayana temple at Talakad, Veera Narayana temple at Gadag and Chelva Narayana temple at Melkote. These temples are lasting monuments of Karnataka culture and architecture. Ramanuja built many other temples too in Thondanur).


Then seeing this Jain Acharyas told Ramanuja has done some Vasiyam and they wanted to have a debate. Then 12000 Jains debated with our Udayavar, Then Our Ramanuja asked his disciple to put a screen and he took a form a 1000 headed Adhisheshan and defeated this Jains. ( even today you will find the Statue of Udayavar in Nambi Narayana temple and also Narasimha Temple. Here there are three temples, they are Nambi Narayana Temple. ( It is one the Pancha Narayana KSHéTRAM established by Bhagavath Ramanuja. the Moolavar is 18 feet height and he is holding Shanku and Chakra in reverse order ( We could not take picture as it is under Archeological Survey of India , May be in near future you can see the Picture) . it is said he did Pancha Samasakara to Thondanur Nambi, then a Narasimha Temple and Gopala Krishna Temple. Then near by you can see a vast big lake which was built by our Udayavar with his own hand.

MelkoteWHILE THE hills in the Tamil country are generally associated with temples for Lord Muruga, in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka they house many Narasimha shrines, such as the Nava Narasimha Temples at Ahobilam, Simhachalam, Mattapalli, Mangalagiri and Yadavgiri near Melkote, in Karnataka. One of the earliest incarnations of the Lord, who upheld righteousness and punished the wrong doers, Lord Narasimha is in the heart of every being, according to the Scriptures.

The Narasimha Poorva Thaapini Upanishad says that God appeared before Brahma as Narasimha at first and gave him the Mantra Narasimha Anushtup with which he was able to develop the Vedas. The verse beginning with the words, ``Ugram, Veeram, Mahavishnum....'' is said to represent the nine forms of Narasimha — Ugram (anger), Veeram (bravery), Jwaala (fire) and so on.

One can worship these nine forms of Narasimha at Ahobilam. There are also other places such as Thiruvali-Thirunagari, near Sirkazhi, in Tamil Nadu and in and around Yadavgiri or Melkote in Karnataka, where one finds a cluster of Narasimha temples.

The Lord's form at the Narasimha temple, in Melkote, atop Yadavagiri, is really frightening. It is one of the many Narasimha shrines in the area, the others being those at Saligramam, Thondanur, Padmagiri, Srirangapatnam and Srivarasamudram (Sivasamudram).

According to a few Vaishnavite scholars there are nine Narasimha temples in the area, though they have not been identified.

Works such as Ramanuja Divya Charitam say that Pancha Narayana Sthalas, (five temples for Lord Narayana), were established by Saint Ramanuja in the area including the Thirunarayanaswami Temple at Melkote.

The verse in the Ramanuja Divya Charitam says that Mudaliyandan or Dasarathi, Ramanuja's chief disciple, was deputed to Velur (Velupura-Belur) to inaugurate the Narayana Temple there. Belur, in ancient inscriptions, bears the name of Velupura or Veluir and is also called Dakshina Varanasi or Southern Benares. Its holiness is due to the celebrated temple of Chenna Kesava there, built by the Hoysala King, Vishnuvardhana, to mark his change of faith, influenced by Ramanuja's teachings.

The king was also said to have gifted to Ramanuja and his followers the tract of land on either side of the River Cauvery at Srirangapatnam. The villages there were known as ashtagramas (eight villages).

According to historians, Ramanuja's stayed in the Hoysala country for not less than 20 years. He used the opportunity to give a firm footing to Vaishnavism in the area and also indulged in humanitarian tasks.

Ramanuja had made the Tondanur Narasimha temple his abode before proceeding to Melkote to retrieve the idols of the Lord. The Jains in the area, numbering 12,000, marched to the temple, angered by the king changing his faith to Vaishnavism and demanded that Ramanuja answer their questions on religion and philosophy. Being an Aparavatara of Adisesha, Ramanuja, took the form of the 1000-headed serpent and vanquished them.

Similarly Ramanuja defeated the Buddhists in a religious battle at Padmagiri. At Saligramam, the birthplace of another important disciple, Vaduga Nambi, he stayed in the Narasimha Temple and gave religious discourses. It was here that Vaduga Nambi was cured of a serious ailment after washing Ramanuja's feet and taking the holy water.

While bathing in the Kalyani tank at the foot of the Yadavagiri hill one day, Ramanuja received news of the death of the Chola King, who persecuted Vaishnavites. Messengers led by Maruthi Andan, who had trekked all the way from Srirangam, gave him the message. Ramanuja and his followers were elated by the news as they could now return to Srirangam. They climbed the steps to reach the temple of Narasimha at Yadavagiri and prostrated before the Lord.

The hill temple is small but beautiful. A cave known as Puli Kugai and also as Piladwaram, through which one can crawl with great difficulty is found just below the Moolavar idol of Narasimha, and passing through it is a divine experience indeed! The cave which was kept closed in the past has been reopened now.

Ramanuja, after returning to Melkote and getting the Lord's permission for returning to Srirangam, appointed 52 persons to administer the Thirunarayanaswami temple.

On knowing that Ramanuja will not be in Melkote to guide them in the temple affairs and other religious activities, they wept. But the saint consoled them and left behind an image of himself, which was filled with his power. He also told them to take care of the idol of Sampathkumara who was like a son to him, and left a detailed code of temple procedures.

It is said that he took a long time to get out of the place, as he felt very much attached to the Lord there. One of the glorious chapters in Ramanuja's life thus came to an end.

Unswerving faith

IT WAS in Karnataka that Ramanuja had three important disciples — Vaduga Nambi or Andhra Purnar, Tondanur Nambi and Milagazhwan. Of them the first, Vaduga Nambi, was the closest follower of Ramanuja. He staunchly believed in the principle of Panchamopaya or the path of placing unswerving faith in one's preceptor.

The second helped Ramanuja find a firm foothold in the Hoysala country by introducing him to the Hoysala King Bittideva, whose daughter was possessed by an evil spirit. When the spirit was driven away by the saint, the king and his subjects became Ramanuja's followers with the king changing his name as Vishnuvardana.

The third was Milagazhwan, who got that name perhaps because of his short stature. His figure is found in one of the beautifully carved pillars of the shrine of Goddess Yadugiri Nachiar at Melkote. It is the firm belief of Vaishnavites that to reach heaven, they ought to visit Melkote and worship the deities there and also Milagazhwan.There is an interesting anecdote about him. He used to prepare food for Ramanuja wherever he went. He used unbroken pepper for this and when asked he replied that the pestle used for breaking it, reminded him of Siva Linga and hence he would not touch it. Such was his devotion to Ramanuja and Lord Narayana.

Lord Narasimha at Kadiri is swayambhu emerging from the roots of Khadri tree. The Moolavirat is that of Ashta Bahu Narasimha (having eight hands) cleaving Hiranyakasipu and transforming into a more protecting persona with Prahlada standing beside him with folded hands.

Astonishingly, after the daily abhishekham is performed, the Murthy of the Lord oozes sweat even after being repeatedly wiped off by the Archakas here


A famous event carried out every year is the Rathothsavam (Car Festival), on this holy day, a huge Rath (Chariot) with the Lord Lakshmi Narasimha's idol on it is pulled by hundreds of men and watched by thousands of devotees.

Penusila Narasimha Swamy



Penchalakona village is located in Rapur mandal of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. It is 70 km from Nellore town. Penchalakona houses the temple of Sri Penusila Narasimha Swamy, which is situated at the foot of a hill. It is believed that Kanva Maharshi did his penance here. The annual festival[1] of the temple, during the month of April and May, is a major event at Penchalakona.Devotees from near and far distances congregate for Narasimhaswamy Jayanthi with great devotion.