Ahobilam Temples and Trekking

Visiting Ahobilam is an enriching experience. It not only requires devotion but also the strength to visit all the nine Narasimha temples spread across lower and upper Ahobilam. Visiting all these temples in a day is quite difficult and two days are sufficient to see all temples including Ugrasthambham leisurely. Planning in advance for staying at Ahobilam is necessary as days of Swathi Nakshatra and Brahmotsavam attract huge crowd. Lower Ahobilam has guest house maintained by Ahobilam mutt and as well as private ones. Upper Ahobilam has a small guest house maintained by some community. Lunch is provided for all by this community Anna sathram at free of cost. Ahobilam can be reached from Allagadda, it takes forty minutes to reach Ahobilam and first bus starts at 5:00 AM. The last bus to Allagadda from Ahobilam is at 8:30PM.

Upper Ahobilam Narasimha Swami Temple

view from Upper Ahobilam

Bhairava cave

Upper Ahobilam has Ahobila Narasimha Swami, Varaha or Kroda or Krodakara Narasimha Swami, Malola Narasimha Swami, Jwala Narasimha Swami and Paavana Narasimha Swami Temples. Upper Ahobilam also has Ugrasthambham and Prahlada Gudi which are not counted in the nine Narasimha temples. Ugrasthambham is the place where Lord Narasimha is believed to come out of the pillar to kill demon Hiranyakashyapu as described in Hindu mythology. Lower Ahobilam has Yogananda Narasimha Swami, Chatravata Narasimha Swami and Bhargava Narasimha Swami Temples. On the way to Lower Ahobilam to Upper Ahobilam Karanja Narasimha Swami temple is present next to main road. Distance from Lower Ahobilam to Upper Ahobilam is eight kilometers.

back side entrance of Ahobilam temple, closed always

way to other temples at Upper Ahobilam

It is better to start early in the morning as rocks gets heat by noon making it bit difficult to trek. Most of the path is with rocks and steep at few places making it necessary to climb with the help of rocks. Make sure that you carry enough water as there is no source of water from Varaha Narasimha Swami temple to Jwala Narasimha Swami temple. Also, there is no water source at Ugrasthambham which takes two hours of moderate to difficult trek. From Ugrasthambham once can take the same path to come back to the starting point of trek or can take alternate path. Alternate path is not much steep and it is a simple trek of six kilometers.

near the junction to take left or right path

entire route map of Ahobilam both Upper and Lower Ahobilam

Kroda Narasimha Swami

We started our trek from Upper Ahobilam Narasimha Swami temple. Just next to the temple there is a path for going to other temples at Upper Ahobilam. Crossing small bridge made of wooden pieces and walking a little we will get a junction with way to left and right. Take the left one to visit Kroda Narasimha Swami, Malola Narasimha Swami, Jwala Narasimha Swami temples and Ugrasthambham. Take right one with steps to visit Paavana Narasimha Swami Temple.

on the way to Jwala Narasimha Swami

on the way to Jwala Narasimha Swami, this bridge also takes to Malola Narasimha Swami temple

just spot the bridge seen in two  pics above 

We took the left path reached Kroda Narasimha Swami temple and started to Jwala Narasimha Swami temple as we were planning to visit Malola Narasimha Swami temple while coming back taking the alternate path. It took around two hours to reach Jwala Narasimha Swami Temple from Kroda Narasimha Swami temple and two more hours to reach Ugrasthambham from Jwala Narasimha Swami temple. Don’t plan to stay uphill as there is no possibility with narrow paths and no plane surface.

Jwala Narasimha Swami Temple

Jwala Narasimha

tasty water on the top of hill near Jwala Narasimha temple

Malola Narasimha Swami Temple

We visited Malola Narasimha Swami temple on the way back and on the trek we experienced many scenic places. It was almost 4’0 clock by the time we came back to Ahobilam, the place we started. Had nice lunch at Sathram and relaxed for the day going to lower Ahobilam.

way to Ugrasthambham

Ugrasthambham

Next day we started early to Upper Ahobilam and from there to Paavana Narasimha Swami temple. Except the initial seven hundred odd steps climbing, the trek was simple and took almost two hours to reach temple. We also visited Chenchu Lakshmi temple just near to Paavana Narasimha Swami temple. We started back and reached Ahobilam starting point by lunch time. Having lunch at Sathram we started to other temples visiting Karanja Narasimha Swami temple on the way to Lower Ahobilam as other temples are in Lower Ahobilam itself.

We visited other Narasimha swami temples at lower Ahobilam hiring an Auto rickshaw. We could return with pleasure and satisfaction of having darshan of all Nava Narasimha temples. Later we visited Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple at Lower Ahobilam, it is not included in the list of nine Narasimha temples.

view of Ahobila temple from alternate path

On first day, we visited Ahobila Narasimha Swami, Varaha Narasimha Swami, Malola Narasimha Swami, Jwala Narasimha Swami and Ugrasthambham all at Upper Ahobilam.

One second day, we visited Paavana Narasimha Swami at Upper Ahobilam, Karanja Narasimha Swami on the way to Lower Ahobilam from Upper Ahobilam. Yogananda Narasimha Swami, Chatravata Narasimha Swami and Bhargava Narasimha Swami Temples at Lower Ahobilam.

Paavana Narasimha Swami Temple

Karanja Narasimha Swami Temple

Yogananda Narasimha Swami

Chatravata Narasimha Swami Temple

Bhargava Narasimha Swami Temple

Temple at Lower Ahobilam

It is up to you to hire a guide or not. It is not necessary to hire a guide we felt as path is not much confusing. We can take help from temple priests. Only place where we may feel little confused is near the small bridge (blue in color) on the way to Jwala Narasimha Swami temple from Kroda Narasimha Swami temple. If you take the bridge you will reach Malola Narasimha Swami, if you are coming back the same way we can take the bridge to reach Malola Narasimha Swami temple instead of going till Kroda Narasimha Swami temple. Paavana Narasimha temple can be reached by road by hiring a jeep from Lower Ahobilam itself.