God
The main deity of this temple is Yoga Narasimhar, who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu facing in West direction with six feet height. Narasimhar, in a seated posture, performing penance, can be seen carved in the sanctum sanctorum. His front two hands are folded and are resting on his knees, while the two hands behind can be seen holding the Chakra (wheel) and Shangu (conch).
Goddess
Goddess Narasingavalli is consort of Yoga Narasimhar, facing South direction.
Interesting Facts
- The idol is a rare and unique form which is not seen else where. Usually, in Narasimha temples the Utsava idol would be Srinivasa or a similar form. This would be the only Narasimha temple where the utsava idol is also Narasimha.
Best Season To Visit
The best season to visit this temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are September to March.
Weather
Highest - April to June (38°C during day and 26°C during night)Average - May (37 °C during the day and 21 °C during night)Lowest - October to February (30 °C during day and 18 °C during night)Monsoon season - August to September
Dress Code
- For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
- For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
- These rules are applicable for foreigners also. Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.
- Pilgrims/visitors will not be allowed inside the temple if dress code is not followed.
Do's & Dont's
- Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
- Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.
- Smo​king is strictly prohibited inside the temple premises.
transport connections
| Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
 Mattuthavani Omni Bustand |
4 KM | 1800-419-4287 |
 Kudalnagar Railway Station |
12.6 KM | 139 |
 Madurai International Airport |
24.6 KM | 0452-2690717 |
Architecture
Yoga Narasimhar Yanaimalai is a cave temple at the foot of a hill in the shape of an Elephant, hence the name Yanaimalai. The temple was built in Dravidian style of architecture. There is no separate flagstaff (Kodi Maram) in this temple is equipped with Maha mandapam, Garuda mandapam, Artha mandapam, Mukha mandapam and sanctum. There is a koneru named as Chakra theertham.
The temple has nine inscriptions. Of these, eight belong to the Pandya rulers and the remaining one to Krishnadevaraya. The inscriptions at the temple are in ancient Tamil, Brahmi and Vattezhuthu. There are two inscriptions of Srivallabha Pandya (1101-1124 A.D.), which speak about the gifts made to the temple. There are also inscriptions of later Pandyas and one of them, belonging to the rule of Sundara Pandya, (1216-1238 A.D.) gives details about his conquest of the Chola country. Another inscription says that land gifts were made at Iyakkimangalam village for conducting the festival in the Anaimalai Temple. Later inscriptions are mostly incomplete. Inscriptions in the cave temple say that Maran Kari, the minister of the Pandya king, started the construction of the temple in 770 A.D. which remained unfinished, either due to his death or due to some other calamity and was completed by his brother Maran Eyinan later. He also built the Muka mandapam and consecrated the temple.
Religious Significance
According to this story, Romasa Maha Rishi wanted to see Lord Vishnu in Narasimha form, there by he approached Sage Narada, who asked him to bathe in the Sakkara theertha and under take penance at Padma Thadagam, which is a place filled completely with flowers. He performed a Sathra Maha Yagna to invoke the blessings of Lord Narasimha, who pleased with his prayers appeared before in a Gigantic form in an Ugra Kolam. The Ugra Kolam was very hot to bear, thus worried, the Devas went to Brahmma for solution. Brahmma transformed Shiva into a Saraba form. This Saraba Pakshi had Brahmma as the head, Surya and Chandra as the eyes and small boys as the legs. However, Narasimha refused to be cooled down, in fact his anger grew after seeing this form, leaving the Devas running for protection. They invited Prahalada (the boy because of whom the Lord Vishnu Took the Narasimha form to kill his father). On seeing Prahlada, Lord Narasimha was slightly cooled down. Then they invited Godess Lakshmi, on seeing her the lord was cooled down and thereby transformed in to Lord Yoga Narasimhar. Later the two blessed Romasi Rishi with a child. According to this story, Indra sent his elephant here to Madurai. At the end of the event, it is believed that they found a huge Elephant in a sleeping posture. This is said to be the Elephant rock we see today off the Madurai-Melur highway near Othakadai.
History
The temple was built in 770 C.E. by Madurakavi alias Marankaari and contributed by Sundara Pandya and Sri Vallabha Pandya.
Temple Timings
| Day | Timings | |
|---|---|---|
| All Days | 05:00 AM - 01:00 PM | 04:00 PM - 09:00 PM |
Sevas
Pooja
Tours
Airports
| Airport Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Shamshabad | 40 KM |
| Lorem Ipsum | 12 KM |
Railway Stations
| Railway Station Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Secunderabad | 10 KM |
| Nampally | 12 KM |
| Begumpet | 6 KM |
| Lingampally | 20 KM |
Bus Stations
| Bus Station Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| MGBS | 35 KM |
| CBS | 28 KM |
| kukatpally | 20 KM |
| Lingampally | 30 KM |
| Uppal | 35 KM |
Private Transports
| Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| Private Transport | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
| Private Transport1 | 8 KM | 9546858757 |
Local Transports
| Transport Name | Distance | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|
| Local Transport | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
| Local Transport1 | 5 KM | 9546858757 |
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