For pilgrims and tourists visiting Nellore district, Narasimhakonda (the hill of Lord Narasimha) has become a must-see destination, where modern facilities are being created for the convenience of devotees.
This abode of Sri Vedagiri Lakshminarasimha Swamy Temple lies nestled in the lap of the lush green Vedagiri Hills, 15 km west of Nellore. Located under Devarapalem panchayat limits, the temple has got many facilities in place to make the visit comfortable for pilgrims.
A footpath has been developed with steps stretching over 4 km to enable devotees who are walking to reach the temple atop Narasimhakonda. A ghat road has been laid in Vedagiri Hills to reach the hill shrine faster.
Seeing the growing potential of the pilgrim centre, the district administration roped in various projects to bring in more development to attract more numbers of pilgrims and tourists. Tourist facilities have been developed at a cost of Rs.4 crore, which include an auditorium, bathrooms, two parks and an overhead tank among other things.
Situated on the south side of Penna river, Narasimhakonda temple was constructed with the patronage of Pallava King Narasimha Varma in the 9th century, according to the inscriptions. Scriptures say that the temple in Vedagiri was where Lord Narasimha appeared following a yagam done by Kashyapa Muni. The yagam involved rituals held at three important places - Vedagiri (Narasimhakonda), Ratnagiri (Jonnawada) and Talpagiri (Ranganayakulapeta, Nellore).
A visit to the abode of Lord Narasimha is memorable with the ‘gali gopuram’ visible to visitors as one enters the verdant forests of Vedagiri. The rush of pilgrims has increased substantially after having provided additional facilities there.
