Brahmotsavam on at Nanganallur Lakshmi Narasimhar temple

Brahmotsavam, among other special occasions, is celebrated in a grand manner for around 10 days with the car festival (ther) as the highlight of the whole event. This year, the car festival is on February 15. During the Bramhotsavam, the deity will be taken in a procession on different mounts. The temple, built in 1975, with man galasasanam, by 44th Azhagiyasingar of Ahobilam Mutt, has several unique distinctions. 

Among those, the interesting and rich aspects are its ancientness and its association with the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala.Narrating the inception of the temple, Raghavan, 83-year-old secretary of the trust that runs the shrine, says, “In the early 1970s, a group of devotees planned to instal an idol of Lord Krishna in a makeshift structure on the land where the temple stands now. 

During excavation for the makeshift structure, the devotees found 7 or 8 idols reportedly belonging to Pallava era of 8th century. All of them were taken by the archaeological department. We managed to retain the prarthanai chakram, now placed in front of Sudarsanazhwar or Chakrathazhwar shrine, a bell and some puja articles. 

As per initial plan, we decided to build only a Krishna temple. But, as an idol of Lakshmi Narasimhar was found, the devotees planned to go for Ashta Prasannam and then decide on the presiding deity. During Ashta Prasannam it showed that a temple of Narasimhar existed at the same location during the Pallava era and then it was decided to build a temple with both Lakshmi Narasimhar and Navaneetha Krishnan as deities.” 

“While donations started pouring in from devotees and well-wishers, the temple got its first blessing from Lord Venkateswara in the form of the flag post (kodi maram) from the Tirumala temple. From then on, the relationship between both the temples strengthened at every stage. Next came the set of idols that were despatched from Tirupati to the Nanganallur abode of Lakshmi Narasimhar. 

At present, most of the idols in our temple are born in Tirupati and brought here,” says V Bharani Prasad and V Sathish Kumar, sons of Venkatapathy Naidu, who, along with late Santhanam and other devotees, built the temple. 

With the religious practices and festivals being performed in temple perfectly as per guidelines in Vedas and Vaishnava customs, heads of various mutts from different parts of the state, including jeers of Ahobila Mutt, Andavan Ashram, Sri Prahalada Mutt, Acharyas of Kanchi Mutt and Mukkur Sri Lakshmi Narasamachariyar, visited the shrine and performed mangalasasanam, a highest honour for any shrine. 

“While everyone is equal in the eyes of god, we make it a point that the same is practised in the temple and all those who come to the shrine get the fullest blessings of Lakshmi Narasimhar and Navaneetha Krishnan,” says G C Srinivasan, president of the temple committee.

The car fest is major event in the calendar of the Nanganallur temple. The car, which is around 30 feet in height, will be taken around the main streets of the locality and for a distance of around 2 km. Thousands of devotees from far and near join the procession to pull the car making it a people’s affair completely.