4. Patalathri Narasimha of Kanchipuram
Singaperumal Kovil near Chengalpet is Situated in the Kanchipuram District of Tamil Nadu is Singaperumal Kovil which is home to a frequently visited ancient Patalathri Narasimha. Patalam means red. Athri means hill. As Lord Narasimha appeared here furiously with red eyes and the huge size of a hill so the place came to be known as Patalathri. Lord here graces with four arms, two of them holding Sudarsana and Panchajanya and the third in “Abaya Hastha” Mudra with the fourth pointing towards the earth. in a sitting posture, He graces along with Sridevi and Bhudevi. Lord Patalatri Narasimha has three eyes and wears the Salagrama and Sahasranama garlands. It is believed that if one gets the darshan of the Third Eye, all misery in life would be removed. You can get a darshan of the third eye during arati when the priest would lift tilaka.
The Legend
This temple has been referred to in Brahmaanda Purana. This place was surrounded by dense forests during the period of the Narasimha avatar. Maharshi Jabali performed intense penance in this place seeking the desire to see Lord Narasimha. Lord granted the sage’s Desire and appeared in front of him during the twilight time. Based on the event, Abhisheka is performed to the Lord at this time on Pradosha days.
Another legend says that Appachiaranna a great devotee of Lord Narasimha had a son named Annavillappan who learned Ubhaya Vedantham from Daasarathi Appai and Kandadai Appan. Annavillappan was extremely devoted to his Kuladevta Narasimha. Patalathri Narasimha appeared in his dream and told him to spruce the jungle and bring out his temple drowned in a sand dune at Patalathri. This place is now known as ‘Singa Perumal Kovil ‘. Annavillappan rehabilitated the Patalathri Narasimha deity which had drowned under a sand dune, as per Lord Narasimha‘s directive, and created the village and also brought and settled people to serve the Lord in Temple. He constructed the tower, etc., and worshiped him.
5. Lakshmi Narasimha of Poovarasankuppam
One of the foremost shrines of Lakshmi Narasimha is Poovarasan Kuppam, near Villupuram district Tamil Nadu; The presiding deity is Lakshmi Narasimha. This temple is approximately 1200 years old. It is said that for the first time, after killing Hiranyakashipu at Ahobilam, Lord Narasimha appeared at Poovarasankuppam in the same form and gave Darshan to the Sapta Rishis as Lakshmi Narasimha. therefore it is believed that one who cannot have the darshan of Narasimha at Ahobilam, Andhra Pradesh Can Have Blessings By Visiting This temple In Poovarasankuppam. A unique feature here is the posture of Mahalakshmi, who is seated on the lap of Lord Narasimha and has one eye towards the Lord and the other eye gracing devotees.
The Legend
Lord Narasimha took an instant incarnation as answering the prayers of his devotee Prahalada to slay the demon Hiranyakashipu. After slaying the demon, his anger did not subside and he roamed all over India. At Poovarasankuppam on the Northern shore of the river South Pennai in South India, the Saptha Rishis prayed to the Lord to have his darshan. Lord appeared here in front of the Sapta Rishis. However, Rishis could not bear the intensity of heat emitting from the Lord and requested his consort to calm him down. Goddess Lakshmi, obliged and sat on the Lord’s lap and looked at him with one eye and the Rishis with the other. This act of the Goddess Lakshmi brought a soothing and tranquil effect on the Lord. To this day, it is only at this temple in the whole world that Lord Lakshmi Narasimha is in such a pose.
6. Yoga Narasimha of Sholingur
Located about 90 km west of Chennai and about 25 km from Arakkonam, atop a hill on a single stone is the Yoga Narasimha temple in Sholingur, also called Thiru Kadigai. There are three separate shrines of Vishnu in the form of Narasimha, Bhaktavatsala Perumal, and Hanuman. They are situated on the larger hill, at the base of the larger hill and on the smaller hill respectively. Vishnu Purana and Padma Purana refer to this place as Kadigai and since Vishwamitra got his Brahmarishi title here, it became SimhapuramThe Legend
Here at Solingur Sage Vishwamitra undertook penance here and was blessed by Lord Narasimha who appeared within a fraction of time (one Kadigai) and also he gained a Brahmarishi title with his prayers to Lord Narasimha. Ages Passed by towards the end of Rama Avatar, Following the footsteps of the Vishwamitra, Some Sages too undertook penance here at Sholingur wanting a darshan of the Narasimha Avatar and hoping to get the darshan within a fraction of time. It is said that even if we sleep for 1 Kadigai in this Dham, we will get liberation. That kind of nature and specialty, this Kshetram has got. The sages doing penance here were troubled by demons named Kalan and Keyan in the region and they prayed to Lord Rama, for protection.
At the end of the Rama Avatar, Hanuman wanted to join Rama in his abode at Vaikuntam. However, Rama had other thoughts and asked Hanuman to go to Sholingur to protect the Sages from demons Kalan and Keyan. Hanuman could not initially kill the demons and he prayed to Lord Narasimha. Lord Narasimha appeared before Hanuman and gave him Shanka and Chakra with which Hanuman Killed the Demons also Lord Narasimha asked Hanuman to remain here, as Yoga Anjaneya, with the assurance that he would take Hanuman into Vaikunta Dham during Kali Yuga.
Abiding by the Lord’s wishes, Hanuman is said to have remained here atop the small hill and is seen here with four hands in a Yoga posture with Conch, Chakra, Japa Mala, and the fourth hand with counting the Japa.
This is the only Divya Desam with such special prominence for Lord Hanuman.
