Ahobilam – The Sacred Abode Of The Nava Narasimha

The Ahobilam temple and the Math are inseparable. The math is believed to be swayam vyakt (self-manifest) set up by the Lord himself. The deity worshipped is known as Malola Lakshmi Narasimha; the idol is made of solid gold. The Lord appeared repeatedly to young Srinivasacharya of Melkote in Karnataka, in his dream and ordered him to come to Ahobilam, become a sanyasi and undertake a mission. The Lord, assuming the form of a yati, is said to have initiated the young Kidambi Srinivasachar into the ascetic order, gave him the title of Sathakopa Jeeyar and asked to propagate the Sri Vaishnava philosophy. Thus the “Sri Ahobila Math” was established in 1398 A.D. by Adivan Sathagopa Jeeyar. This episode is sculpted on one of the pillars of the Ranga Mandapam in Lower Ahobilam.