
The
Kshetram has sea in the East and South and river Godavari in the
west. On the North Rakta Kulya river flows. The temple is located in
the village of Antervedi, Netipalle Mandal of East Godavari
District. It is about 35 km from Rajolu. Number of Buses are
available to take the pilgrims to this sacred place. From Narsapur
of West Godavari, the devotees go by motor boats .The presiding
diety of the temple is Sri Narasima Swamy.
Importance of the
Temple
In Antarvedi who ever
worships Lord Narasimha finds easiest means for achieving the
ultimate Mukti. It is said that there will not be any rebirth to the
devotees who take a dip in these places and offer charities.
Performing ceremonial formalities to the ancestors at this Holy
Shrine is equivalent to those done at Gaya and Ganges. In the month
of Magha (January) the procession of Lord is taken on the chariot
and Dolepournami celebration takes place here in the month of March
(Phalguni). Antarvedi is said to be the second Varanasi by the grace
of Lord.
There are 5 important places of this sacred shrine
and they are
- The Sea
- The Sagar Sangam
- The Vasista River
- The Raktakulya River
- The Chakra Theertham
History of the
Temple in Brief
Since Lord
Brahma made this place as "Vedic" to perform Rudra Yaga to get free
from his sins it is therefore called Antervedi. Raktavilochana son
of Hiranyaksha with the boons granted by Lord Shiva unleashed terror
in the region and also killed one hundred sons of Vasista. Vasista
who was not present at the time of this horror, could witness the
scene with his divine power in Brahmaloka. He therefore prayed Lord
Narasimha to save further destruction in the hands of
Raktavilochana. Lord Narasimha, therefore decended and fought
fiercely with the ferocious demon. Since the demon was granted a
boon, assuring that the number of sand particles denched by the
drops of his blood take the form of his body, Lord Narasimha created
Maya Shakti and chopped of the hands of Raktavilochana and
ultimately killed him. Maya Shakti helped Lord Narasimha in
preventing the blood of the demon falling on the ground, with the
result no further bodies of the demon could be produced. Joyous
Vasista, on an auspicious day, in the presence of all the gods
consecrated the image of Lord Narasimha at Antervedi and all sang
his glory. As the time passed, Antervedi became a Jungle, where a
cow-heard called Keshavadas used to graze his cattle. On one day he
found that one of his cows rained his milk at an anthill and
returned home dry. To worried Keshavadas, Lord Narasimha appeared in
his dream and asked him to construct a temple for him. The cow-herd
with the assistance of the villagers constructed a temple at the
anthill. The temple was further developed in 1923 by Sri Narendra
Lakshmi Narasimha Rao in gratitude of the god in saving his ships
from sinking in the sea.