The Sanctum Idol
Narasimha in Soumya form, with Lakshmi seated beside him
The Temple View
A short climb from Kroda Narasimha, on the Upper Ahobilam trail
The gentlest of the nine forms — Malola Narasimha is worshipped together with Goddess Lakshmi in a graceful, peaceful mood, a quiet contrast to the fury of Jwala just a ridge away. This shrine also holds a special place as the presiding deity of the Ahobila Mutt.
"Malola" combines "Ma," referring to Goddess Lakshmi, and "Lola," meaning beloved — so Malola Narasimha is, quite literally, the Lord who is dear to Lakshmi. Here he is shown in a soumya (graceful) form, four-armed and carrying the Sudarshana Chakra, with Lakshmi seated close beside him rather than the terrifying Ugra aspect seen at the main shrine.
The shrine is also known as Markonda Lakshmi Kshetra, and prayers offered here are traditionally believed to bring prosperity to the devotee. It sits a short, scenic climb of stone steps above the Kroda Narasimha temple, making it one of the more accessible of the Upper Ahobilam shrines.
Malola Narasimha's connection to the Ahobila Mutt begins with one of the kshetram's most cherished stories — of a young devotee, a divine calling, and an idol that is said to have chosen its own traveling companion.
A young devotee named Srinivasacharya, studying under his guru, is said to have received a dream instruction from Lord Narasimha to travel to Ahobilam and take up a life of renunciation.
On reaching Ahobilam, the Lord is said to have appeared before him in the form of a saint, initiating him into sannyasa and naming him Adivan Sathakopa Jeeyar — the founder of what would become the Ahobila Mutt.
The Lord instructed him to carry a processional utsava murthy on his travels while preaching, but did not specify which of the nine forms he should take — leaving the new Jeeyar uncertain which idol to choose.
As he meditated, seeking the Lord's guidance, tradition holds that the utsava murthy of Malola Narasimha came to him on its own — adorned with a paduka, a sandal signifying it was ready to set out on tour.
Since that day, the Malola Narasimha utsava murthy has traveled with every successive Jeeyar of the Ahobila Mutt, a tradition now spanning 46 pontiffs and more than five centuries.
As presiding deity of the Ahobila Mutt, the Malola Narasimha utsava murthy accompanies the Srimad Azhagiya Singar — the Mutt's spiritual head — on religious tours across India to this day. Wherever the current Jeeyar travels to bless devotees, this gentle form of the Lord travels with him, an unbroken continuation of the very first journey undertaken by Sathakopa Jeeyar centuries ago.
Visit the principal Ahobila Narasimha shrine nearby, or read about the fierce Jwala Narasimha further along the trail.