Here is the list of Festivals at Simhachalam Temple. Apart from regular festivals like Ugadi, Sri Ramanavami, Narasimha Jayanti, Krishna Janmashtami (Gokulashtami), Shravanamasa utsavalu, Karthika Masa utsavalu, Vinayaka Chavithi, Dasara Sharan Navaratri, Deepavali, etc,. Simhachalam Temple celebrates a huge list of festivals..
Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple of Simhachalam is located in Visakhapatnam district (Vizag) in Andhra Pradesh.
The List of Major Festivals
UGADI (TELUGU NEW YEAR)
Pandhiri raata utsavam, making Sri Swamy as bridegroom. (Chaitra Suddha Padyami)
NRUSIMHA JAYANTHI
Will be Celebrated on these day Swamy vari Jayantotsavam (Vaisakha Sukla Chathurdasi). The Narasimha Jayanthi festival, which occurs on the Fourteenth day of the first half of month of ‘Vaisakha’ is celebrated as Birthday of the Lord.
RADHOTSHAVAM
Held before Swamy going to marriage.
KALYANOTHSAVAM
Sri Swamy vari Vaarshika Thirukalyana Mahothsavam (From Chaitra Sudda Dasami to Chaitrasudda Pournami) (march/april).
CHANDANOTHSAVAM
It is also called Nijaroopa Darshanam, Vaisakha Sudda Tadiya (Akshayaturitya) Usually comes in the month of April/May. On this day more than one lakh people will have darshan of lord Narasimha from early morning. Only on this day swamy gives darshan without chandanam layer on his body i.e., Nijaroopa Darshanam every year.
VAISAKHA POURNAMI
2nd phase Chandana Samarpana. It is the one of the holy days in temple festivals.
JYESHTA POURNAMI
3rd phase Chandana Samarpana at early Morning.
TEPPOTSAVAM
Will be celebrated on Pushya Bahula Amavasya. On this day ‘Utsava idols’ are taken to ‘Varaha Pushkarini’ from the temple in a palanquin. The procession that began on the Simhachalam hill at 3 p.m. reached the foothill around 4.30 p.m. People gathered in good numbers alongside the streets to have a darshan of the Lord.
KANUMA
The ‘Utsava Moorti’ of the presiding deity, Lord Sri Varaha Lakshminarasimha Swamy, was brought downhill to the temple garden for darshan. The idols of the deity were then taken to Sri Pydithalli Ammavari temple. A fair was organised by the temple administration near the temple lake. A scene depicting an episode from ‘Gajendra Moksha’ from Srimad Bhagavatam was also recreated by priests.
VAIKUNTA EKADASHI
Will be celebrated on Dhanusudda Ekadasi, on this day the Lord Varaha Narasimha Swamy attracted to pilgrims on vykunta dwaram.
GIRI PRADHAKSHINA
It comes on “Aashada Pournami” generally at June/July month. On this day the people walk around the Simhachalam hill which was in distance 34 kms. On the full moon day in the month of ‘Aashada’, June, the devotees of the Lord, hailing mainly from the countryside, observe a fast on this day and go around the hill over a distance of about twenty miles. They eat their dinner after completing the Pradakshina and after having ‘Darshan’ of the Lord. Those, who cannot undertake this, satisfy themselves by making 108 rounds in the temple itself.