Yoga Narasimha Temple, Thirukkadigai (Sholingur)
Thirukkadigai (Kadigachalam)
Photo: Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Revered as a place where mental afflictions are cured; tradition holds that 24 minutes of sincere worship here confers moksha.
Sthala Purāṇam
The Yoga Narasimha Temple at Sholingur, known as Thirukkadigai or Ghatikachalam, is a Divya Desam where Vishnu is worshipped as Yoga Narasimha atop the principal hill (periya malai), with his consort as Amruthavalli Thayar in a separate shrine. According to the sthala puranam, after Vishnu incarnated as Narasimha to slay the demon Hiranyakashipu, the Sapta Rishis performed penance here, and the Lord granted them his darshan as the serene Yoga Narasimha within a single kadigai, a measure of time of about twenty-four minutes (one nazhigai); from this episode the kshetra took the name Thirukkadigai or Ghatikachalam, ghatika meaning a span of time and achalam meaning hill. It is held that Lakshmi, Brahma, Vishvamitra, Budha, and Valmiki worshipped here; sage Vishvamitra is especially said to have attained the rank of Brahmarishi at this place. Devotees believe that worshipping the Lord here for twenty-four minutes frees one of sins. On the smaller adjacent hill (chinna malai), Hanuman is enshrined as Yoga Anjaneya, facing Narasimha in a rare four-armed seated form bearing the conch and discus, for Narasimha is said to have asked him to remain and protect his devotees. The temple is revered in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, with pasurams by Thirumangai Alvar and Pey Alvar. The temple tank is the Brahma Theertham, linked to Brahma's penance, and the sanctum tower is the Hemakoti Vimanam.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Yoga Narasimha (Lakshmi Narasimhar) with Amruthavalli Thayar of Thirukkadigai (Kadigachalam) is glorified in 4 pāsurams by:
Thirukkadigai (Kadigachalam / Sholingur, Ranipet district) is a Thondai Nadu Divya Desam where Vishnu is worshipped as Yoga Narasimha (Lakshmi Narasimha) atop the hill. The name derives from 'kadigai' (24 minutes), the time devotees believe is enough here to attain moksha. Its Mangalasasanam comprises four pasurams: Thirumangai Alvar three and Pey Alvar one. The hymns glorify Narasimha who, in a moment, granted darshan and liberation to Prahlada and the sapta-rishis.
Verses & references (2)
- Thirumangai Alvar, in three pasurams, performs Mangalasasanam to the Yoga Narasimha of Thirukkadigai (Kadigachalam), the hill-Lord who liberates devotees swiftly. Exact Tamil verse text and decade reference not confidently sourced. — Thirumangai Alvar, Periya Thirumozhi · source ↗
- Pey Alvar contributes one pasuram glorifying the Narasimha of Kadigachalam. Exact Tamil verse text not confidently sourced. — Peyalvar, Moonram Thiruvandhadhi (Pey Alvar) · source ↗
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