YOGA NARASIMHA TEMPLE AT YANAMALAI-MADURAI

This temple is located 8km east of Melur Highway (Madurai) and 4km North of ThiruMogur KAALEMEGA Perumal temple(which is one of a divya desam). It is located on the foot of the Yanamalai Hill (The Hill Looks like an elephant) and place location is called as Narasingam. This is also known as Gaja Giri Kshetram (due to the salvation given for Elephant). This temple is an example of cave cut temple (kodavarai temple). This temple is constructed by breaking the huge piece of rock.

The inscription stated in the picture proves the fact that, the temple is 5000 years old. The incription waqs taken from the Main shrine (Moolavar).

Madurai Thiruvalaiyadal Puranam:

According to this story, Indra sent his elephant here to Madurai. At the end of the event, it is believed that they found a huge elephant in a sleeping posture. This is said to be the elephant rock we see today off the Madurai-Melur highway near Othakadai.

Another story relating to Yaanaimalai Narasimha is that Pulastiya Maharishi(who is the great grandfather of Sri Lanka King Ravana) is said to have undertaken penance at this place and had darshan of Lord Narasimha.

Romasa Maha Rishi’s Penance

According to this story, Romasa Maha Rishi wanted to see Lord Vishnu in Narasimha form/roopa, thereby he approached Sage Narada, who asked him to bathe in the Sakkara Theertha and undertake penance at Padma Thadagam, which is a place filled completely with flowers. He performed a Sathra Maha Yagna to invoke the blessings of Lord Narasimha , who pleased with his prayers appeared before in a Gigantic form in an Ugra Kolam.

The Ugra Kolam was very hot to bear,thus worried, the Devas went to Brahmma for solution. Brahmma transformed Shiva into a Saraba form. This Saraba Pakshi had Brahmma as the head, Surya and Chandra as the eyes and small boys as the legs. However, Narasimha refused to be cooled down, in fact his anger grew after seeing this form, leaving the Devas running for protection. They invited Prahalada(the boy because of whom the Lord Vishnu Took the Narasimha form to kill his father). On seeing Prahlada, Lord Narasimha was slightly cooled down. Then they invited Godess Lakshmi, on seeing her the Lord was cooled down and thereby transformed in to Lord Yoga Narasimhar. Later the two blessed Romasi Rishi with a child.

The Temple

There is a lotus Pond, filled with full of lotus. A devotee is expected to wash his legs in the pond, but with care that he does not enter any deeper and taking care that just enough to clean the feet. After which the devotee must enter the small shrine, consisting of Lord Ganesha, Lord Vishnu, Dakshinamurthi and Ambal.

After, this process, one enters the main Shrine, in which first deity to be visited is Godess Lakshmi and she is seated right after entering the temple. The Godess is amazing and very beautiful and the devotee can take a very close look at her. The offerings made to her are Lotuses, Ghee Lamp(Deepam), Tulsi Mala and Flower Garland,

The Next main deity is the uchavar and the Moolavar. On saturdays the crowd is very high compared to other days. The Main deity Moolar is the Yoga Narasimhar, He has a lion face, and the Goddess Lakshmi in his heart. Visiting him and praying to him will lead to salvation and removal of sins committed even in previous births. The offerings to him are a Lemon and Chandanam(sandal). The Uchavar is in the form of Narasimha, he is very special as he is seen in standing posture which is not seen anywhere else and has a weapon in the hand. One may give, Tulsi flowers, coconut, Lotus, Flowers and Ghee deepam. Special archanas are done on the request.

Swathi Thirumanjanam

Prathosham Thirumanjanam

On Maasi Pournami day, Kalamegha Perumal of Thiru Mogur Divya Desam makes a trip to the Yoga Narasimha temple here in Y.Narasingam and the Gajendra Moksham episode is enacted here.On this day, an oil Abhishekam is performed on Lord Narasimha.