Sri Lakshmi Narasimha
Seated on Adishesha, with Goddess Lakshmi embraced close
The Temple Complex
Vijayanagara-era mandapams along the sannidhi street
Home to the village, the Devasthanam office, and most pilgrim facilities, Lower Ahobilam is anchored by the Sri Prahalada Varada (Lakshmi Narasimha) temple — a shrine in its own right, distinct from the nine Nava Narasimha forms it stands alongside.
The presiding deity here is Sri Lakshmi Narasimha, seated on the coils of Adishesha with the serpent's seven hoods rising above him, Goddess Lakshmi held close in his embrace. He holds a conch and discus in his upper hands, his lower right hand raised in blessing. A second image within the same sanctum shows a very different moment — Narasimha advancing on a defiant Hiranyakashipu, sword raised, capturing the instant just before the demon king's defeat.
Though it stands at the heart of the Ahobilam kshetram and is closely tied to the Nava Narasimha tradition, this temple is not counted among the nine forms itself — it was built later, during the Vijayanagara period, after the Nava Narasimha shrines were already established and celebrated in devotional poetry.
The sanctum holds more than one sacred image, reflecting how closely this temple is bound to the wider Nava Narasimha tradition.
The presiding deity, seated on Adishesha with Lakshmi in his embrace — the calm, protective aspect of the Lord.
A second image depicting the Lord advancing on the demon king in the moment before his defeat.
Processional idols of Prahalada Varada, Pavana Narasimha, and a ten-handed Jwala Narasimha flanked by Sridevi and Bhudevi.
A small image of the first Jeeyar of the Ahobila Matha is kept before the main deities in the sanctum.
Housed in her own shrine, seated in padmasana — Lakshmi's incarnation among the forest-dwelling Chenchu people.
The Ahobila Matha's presiding utsava deity, whose travels with each Jeeyar begin and end in this wider temple complex.
After slaying Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha's rage was so overwhelming that none of the gods — not even Lord Shiva — could calm him. The Devas turned to Goddess Lakshmi, who descended among the Chenchu, a forest-dwelling tribal community of these hills, and appeared as one of their own. As Chenchu Lakshmi, she won the Lord's heart, and their union finally settled his anger — a story still sung by Chenchu communities in the region today, and one reflected in carvings across both Upper and Lower Ahobilam.
Five of the nine Narasimha forms lie within reach of Lower Ahobilam, each with its own legend and setting.
See the shrines of Upper Ahobilam, or return to the full Nava Narasimha overview.