Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, Simhachalam
Simhachalam hill (Simhadri), Visakhapatnam, Visakhapatnam district · Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy – a combined Varaha (boar) and Narasimha (man-lion) form of Vishnu, kept covered in sandalwood paste
A Kalinga-style hill fortress-temple where the Lord hides under sandal paste all year and shows his true form for one day.
Simhachalam (Simhadri, the lion hill) is a hilltop temple on the north-western edge of Visakhapatnam dedicated to Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha, a rare form that unites Vishnu's boar and man-lion incarnations. The small image stands in a tribhanga (three-bend) pose with a boar's head, human body and lion's tail, but you never see it on an ordinary day: it is buried in sandalwood paste and looks like a four-foot linga. Only once a year, on Akshaya Tritiya, the paste is removed and devotees get Nijaroopa (true form) darshan in the festival called Chandanotsavam. The black-granite temple, rebuilt by the Eastern Ganga kings in the 13th century and endowed by Krishnadevaraya, holds hundreds of inscriptions and some of the finest carving in Andhra.
Timings
- Suprabhata Seva: 4:00 – 4:30 AM
- Aradhana (no darshan or sevas): 4:30 – 5:30 AM
- Aradhana Seva (ticketed): 5:30 – 6:30 AM
- Darshan (all types): 6:30 – 11:30 AM
- Break – Rajabhogam: 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
- Darshan: 12:15 – 2:30 PM
- Break – Pavalimpu (rest): 2:30 – 3:30 PM
- Darshan: 3:30 – 7:00 PM
- Evening Aradhana Seva: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
- Darshan: 8:30 – 9:00 PM
- Note: Timings from the AP Endowments portal (October 2026). They change completely on Chandanotsavam, Giri Pradakshina and eclipse days.
Darshan types and costs
- Sarva Darshan (free) – Free
- Seeghra Darshan – ₹100 per person
- Athi Seeghra Darshan – ₹300 per person
- Chandanotsavam (Nijaroopa) darshan – Check official site
Sevas and costs
- Suprabhata Seva – ₹100 (Daily, 4:00 – 4:30 AM)
- Aradhana Seva – ₹200 (Daily, 5:30 – 6:30 AM and 7:00 – 8:30 PM)
- Sahasranamarchana – ₹500 (Daily, approx. 7:30 – 8:30 AM)
- Lakshmi Sahasranamarchana – ₹500 (Daily (time at counter))
- Garuda Seva – ₹500 (Daily, approx. 8:30 – 9:00 AM)
- Nitya Kalyanam – ₹1,000 (Daily, approx. 9:30 – 10:30 AM)
- Swarna Pushparchana – ₹2,116 (Thursdays and Sundays, approx. 8:00 – 9:00 AM)
- Swarna Tulasidalarchana – ₹2,116 (Every Ekadashi, approx. 8:00 – 9:00 AM)
- Swathi Homam – ₹2,500 (Monthly on Swathi nakshatra (the Lord's birth star), approx. 8:00 – 9:00 AM)
- Laksha Kunkumarchana – ₹2,500 (On scheduled days (check portal))
- Ammavari Kunkuma Pooja (Tripurantaka Swamy shrine, Navaratri) – ₹1,000 (During Sharannavaratri)
- Paroksha Chandana Samarpana – ₹1,116 / ₹10,116 / ₹20,116 (Daily, 4:30 – 5:00 PM)
- Ashtottara Shatanamarchana (paroksha) – ₹216 (Daily, 10:15 – 10:30 AM)
- Tonsure (talanilalu) – Check at counter (Daily, during temple hours)
How to book darshan
Darshan tickets, sevas, paroksha (in absentia) sevas and hilltop rooms are booked on the AP Endowments Temple Management System. Counters at the hilltop also sell tickets on the day.
Dress code
Traditional Indian dress. Men: dhoti/pancha or kurta-pyjama; women: saree, half-saree or churidar with dupatta. Shorts, sleeveless tops and caps/helmets/hats are not allowed. Seva ticket holders are expected to wear traditional dress.
Best time to visit
October to March for pleasant weather. Go on a weekday morning for short queues. Chandanotsavam (Akshaya Tritiya, April/May) is unique but very crowded and hot.
How to reach
- air: Visakhapatnam airport, approx. 15 km by road.
- rail: Simhachalam railway station is about 10 km from the temple; Visakhapatnam Junction about 18 km.
- road: APSRTC city buses run often from Dwaraka RTC complex (about 20 km) and the Simhachalam bus depot (about 4 km). The Devasthanam runs buses up the ghat road from the foothills. Taxis and autos go to the top; you can also climb about 1,000 steps from the Gangadhara tank.
Festivals
- Chandanotsavam (Chandana Yatra) – Nijaroopa darshan – Akshaya Tritiya, Vaisakha Shuddha Tritiya (April/May). In 2026 it fell around 19–20 April.
- Kalyanotsavam – Chaitra Shuddha Ekadashi (March/April), 5 days
- Narasimha Jayanti – Vaisakha Shuddha Chaturdashi (April/May)
- Giri Pradakshina – Ashadha Pournami (June/July)
- Navaratri – Ashvayuja (September/October)
- Kamadahana and Dolotsavam – Phalguna Pournami (March)
- Other festivals – Through the year