Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is one of the significant temples in Pazhaiya Seevaram. The temple is situated picturesquely on a small hill in the tiny village of Pazhaiya Seevaram on the northern bank of the river Palar. The temple represents antiquity and traditionality as its essential features.

The shrine Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is situated in the ancient Pallava territory of Tondaimandalam. The place is about seventy kilometers from Chennai and is located on the Chengalpattu -Kanchipuram highway. The large and captivating image of the main deity of this temple, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha is the chief attraction of the temple. The deity of Sri Lakshmi Narayana is found in a seated posture, holding Lakshmi on His left lap, with His right hand in abhaya hasta, offering protection to His devotees.

The legendary story associated with the temple added grandeur to the antiquity of the temple. According to the legend connected with this temple, this place was originally known as Satyavrata Kshetram. The name given to this hill was Padmagiri. Sage Atri performed penance here and in response to his prayer, Lakshmi Narasimha appeared before him in His benign (prasanna) form and was worshiped here by Atri Maharishi. The Sthala-purana of this place, called Padmagiri Mahatmyam, which is found in the section on Archavatara in the Brahmanda Purana. Thus the legend associated with the temple signifies the antique significance of Sri Lakshmi Narayana Temple. Architecture of Sri Lakshmi Narayana Temple: - The image of the deity, adorned with the flag-staff (dvajastambha) in front with His consort, Ahoballavalli Thayar reveals the architectural excellence of the artists of the contemporary era.

Sculpture of the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple has been intricately done on stone. From the base of the wall, the first horizontal layer contains procession of elephants, above which there are horsemen and then a band of foliage. The second horizontal section has depictions from the Hindu epics and Indian Puranas executed with detail. There are two friezes of yalis (imaginary beast) and hamsas (swans). The vimana tower is more ornate than the walls. A large open hall with tall pillars with "faces" was added during later times. There are three tiers of decorative smaller roofs. The wall images of Gods and Goddesses are below the lower eaves. There are 120 such sculptured panels below. This is a good example of a richly decorated Hoysala temple built in the trikuta vimana style with fine sculptures that adorn the walls.

An interesting feature of Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nuggehalli is that inspite of being trikuta it appears as an ekakuta from the outside. This is because of the fact that the other two lateral shrines are just extensions that project out from the walls of the mandapa. An open spacious hall with sculpted faces was later added. Thos construction made the original porch and the closed mandapa appear as the inner part of the temple. The kalasa that is generally found on the shikhara is missing here. It is interesting to note that the tower here is built in nagara style (North Indian style).

The eaves that run around the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple suggest that it is an architectural instance of later Hoysala period. There are two sets of eaves. The lower eaves have been carved out just one meter below the upper ones. In between these lies a decorative miniature tower. Below the lower eaves a panel of sculpted figures of several Hindu deities and their attendants appear. There are 120 sculptured panels. Some of the finest sculptures of Hoysala style are to be found on the friezes. Here one will come across procession of elephants, horses and men riding horses. These sculptures are intricate and done in details. The vimana tower is also profusely decorated with sculptures. These are more ornamental than the outer walls of Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. Icons of Lord Shiva are also a part of the sculpture of this Hoysala Lakshmi Narasimha Temple.

The festivals observed in the temples reflect the cultural heritage of the temple. A number of festivals are observed in the temple with grandeur and enormous

The inscription stamped on the walls depicts the chronology of the temple and also point to the achievements of the kings of the contemporary period. They also record the benefactions made by these kings to this temple.