Mangalagiri Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is a famous Lord Narasimha Swamy temple [4th incarnation of Lord Vishnu] in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh state.
Mangalagiri, also called as "Totadri" in ancient times, located just 12 km from Vijayawada, is a popular pilgrimage destination in Andhra Pradesh.
Official language spoken at Mangalagiri is Telugu.The height of Mangalagiri hill is 875 feet.
Also, Mangalagiri Sarees and dress materials woven from cotton with Zari border are also very popular in India.
In Mangalagiri, visitors can find three Narshima Swamy temples. The first temple is Panakala Narasimha Swamy on the auspicious hill.
The second temple is lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy present on the foot of the Mangalagiri hill.
Third temple is Gandala Narasimha Swamy temple present at the top of the sacred Mangalagiri hill.
The Panakala Narasimha Swamy-temple is located on hilly terrain and this hill falls under a moderate seismic zone 3.
Unlike other temples, here devotees can only see the wide mouth of Lord Narasimha Swamy opened and is covered with the metal face of the God.
When the priests pour the Panakam into the mouth of Lord Narasimhaswamy idol, devotees can clearly hear the gargling sound.
Another interesting fact is that Lord Narasimha idol accepts only half of the Panakam and the rest is given back to the devotees as prasadam.
Visitors who prefer to climb the hill by walking need to cover around 600 steps to reach Panakala Narasimha Swamy temple on the hill.
Alternatively, one directly reach the temple via Ghat Road. Local three-wheeler auto rickshaw can easily get you there.
Though a large quantity of panakam is offered to God, not a single ant can be traced at Mangalagiri temple.
The giant 11-stairs and 153 feet tall gopuram with beautiful sculpture present at Lakshmi Narasimha Temple at the foot of the hill was the main attraction of this temple.
It was constructed by Sri Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu who ruled this place from Amaravathi.
According to an ancient history, Lord Rama ordered Lord Hanuman to stay in Mangalagiri as Kshetrapalaka (Guardian) while leaving for Vaikunta after completing his incarnation (Avatar).
A separate shrine of Mother Lakshmi is present above the cave temple. Next to this shrine is a large relief statue of Lord Hanuman that has been carved into the rock and painted Saffron color.
There is also a small cave on the left side of Goddess Lakshmi Devi. This cave probably leads to Undavalli and in the ancient times, Sages used this cave to have a holy bath in river Krishna.
However, this dark cave is in poor condition today and may not lead to the other end.
Moved by the faithful devotion of Prahlada, Lord Vishnu appears in the terrible form of Ugra Narasimha (Man-Lion) and kills Hiranyakashipu and saves Bhakta Prahlada.
Mangalagiri is one among the very few temples in Andhra Pradesh which closes very early in the evening around 4:30 PM.
One popular belief for early closure of the temple is that Devatas from the heaven will worship the lord after midday.
So, tourists are advised to keep in mind Mangalagiri temple timings before planning their trip.
Panakala Narasimha Swamy Temple Time: 7:00 AM to 4:30PM
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple: 5:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
Mangalagiri temple is present on the Vijayawada Guntur Highway. The temple is located on Old National Highway 5 that connects Kolkata and Chennai.
By Road:
Mangalagiri can be easily reached on road from Guntur, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and Tenali by APSRTC buses and other private vehicles.
By Train:
The nearest railway station is present at Mangalagiri on the Howrah-Chennai main line. Vijayawada railway station is at a distance of around 12 km via Trunk Road.
By Air:
The nearest domestic Airport is Vijayawada Airport located at Gannavaram. The Airport is at a distance of roughly 31 km via NH 5.
Tourists can get good food and accommodation facility at luxurious budget-friendly hotels present at Vijayawada and Guntur cities.
Mangalagiri Temple Information:
| Primary Deity | Lord Narasimha |
| Place | Mangalagiri Town |
| District | Guntur |
| State | Andhra Pradesh |
| Country | India |
| Pincode | 522503 |
| Architecture | Dravidian Style |
| Phone | 098484 19118 |
Mangalagiri means "The Auspicious Hill". The shape of the Mangalagiri hill resembles an elephant.
What to See at Mangalagiri:
Mangalagiri Hill Temple:
The main tourist attraction at Mangalagiri is Lord Narasimha Swamy who drinks only half of the panakam (jaggery water) offered by the devotees and till today nobody knows where that jaggery water is going.
About Mangalagiri Town:
Another attraction of this temple is the garland of Lord Narasimha is made of 108 Shaligrams and Goddess Lakshmi Devi is present on his left in this temple.
Mangalagiri Temple History:
About Narasimha Avatara (The Man-Lion):
In this incarnation, Lord Vishnu saved the child devotee Prahlada from his Asura-father Hiranyakashipu, for chanting the sacred name of Lord Vishnu instead of reciting the name of his father.
Mangalagiri Temple Timings:
Panakam is offered to the Lord as nivedhana and the same is given to the devotees as prasadam.
How To Reach:
Where to Stay:
Temple Distance:
- 👉 1. Vijayawada: 12 km
- 👉 2. Guntur: 24 km
- 👉 3. Hyderabad: 287 km
Temple Attractions:
1. Eleven-storey high and beautiful Gali Gopuram (Tower on East Side) of Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple.Vijayanagara kings built 3 storeys and Raja Venkatadri Nayudu constructed another 8 storeys from 1807 to 1809.
2. Dormant Mangalagiri Volcano hill - Kept calm by the offerings of Panakam or jaggery water by the devotees to neutralize and prevent volcanic eruption.
3. Ksheera vruksham present on the Mangalagiri hill
4. Hinkar Thirtha Jain temple in Mangalagiri
Major Festivals:
All other major Hindu festivals are celebrated with great fervor at this temple like Narasimha Jayanthi, Maha Shivaratri, Rama Navami, Mukkoti Ekadashi and Hanumath Jayanti.
Nearby Tourist Attractions:
- 👉 Amaravathi - Amaralingeswara Swamy Temple
- 👉 Guntur Archeology Museum
- 👉 Vijayawada - Kanaka Durga Temple
- 👉 Vinukonda
- 👉 Ponnur - Anjaneya Swamy Temple
- 👉 Bhattiprolu
- 👉 Kotappakonda - Trikoteswara Swamy Temple
- 👉 Undavalli Caves
- 👉 Gurazala
- 👉 Pedakakani - Sri Bramarambha Malleswara Temple
- 👉 Macherla
- 👉 Kondavid Fort
Route Map:
Other Temples of Lord Narsimha:
- 👉 Ahobilam - Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy
- 👉 Yadagirigutta - Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy
- 👉 Simhachalam - Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha
- 👉 Dharmapuri - Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy
- 👉 Mattapalli - Yogananda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy
- 👉 Antharvedi - Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy
- 👉 Kadiri - Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy
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