In district Sangli in southwestern Maharashtra l i e s a l i t t l e k n o w n v i l l a g e b y t h e n a m e o f Nrsimhapur, and an even lesser known form of Lord Nrsimhadeva. Known to the locals as "Jwala [flaming] Nrsimha", this impressive sixteenhanded form of the Lord standing on one foot has been the protector and benefactor of his reverential devotees for thousands of years.
The local tradition related to this deity has been compiled in a book known as Kåñëa-mähätmya. A verse reads as follows:
yadä punas-tadä bhaktyä tapaù kartuà paräçaraù
närasiàhaà tadä dhyäyan kåñëä-tére muneçvaraù
The foremost amongst the sages, Parashar, performed austerities on the bank of the river Krishna with a heart
full of devotion, meditating on Lord Nrsimhadev.According to the local tradition, Lord Nrsimhadev was pleased with the devotion of Parashar Muni and hence appeared in a wonderful sixteen-handed form. This was the same blazing form that the Lord
had assumed while killing Hiranyakashipu.Seeing that it was not possible for anyone to establish this ferociously blazing form on earth, the Lord ordered Parashar Muni to immerse him in the river Krishna. With a heavy heart, the sage immersed the deity in the water.
Centuries later, around the year 178 A.D., a brahmin couple staying at a village named Anjana had been
cursed to become blind and dumb by a sage.
On begging forgiveness, they were advised by the sage to perform austerities for the pleasure of Lord Nrsimha to absolve themselves of the curse. After twelve years of rigorous austerities, the Lord appeared in their dreams and told them that he now wished to establish himself on earth as a deity and asked them to approach the local king named Bhimadev to get him out of the river. When asked
how they would find the exact location where he was under the water, the Lord told them to place some dry kuça grass in the stream and that they would find him exactly under the place where the grass caught fire. After that darçana of the Lord, the
couple immediately regained their sight and speech and set off to inform the king.On hearing the request of the couple, the king sent
his entourage to discover the deity. While searching in the river according to the procedure specified by
the Lord, one of the blades of grass caught fire and the wonderful sixteen-handed form of the Lord was discovered from the depths of the river.On examining the deity, the devotees could see that the Lord was positioned with his left leg raised and bent in order to place the demon Hiranyakashipu upon it, and also to hold the left arm of the demon to prevent him from escaping. His other foot was placed firmly on the doorstep of Hiranyakashipu. On the left side of the Lord were small deities of Lakshmi-devi and Prahlad Maharaja. On the right
side were deities of Bhudevi (the earth goddess) and Garuda. All around the form of Lord Nrsimha were wonderful carvings of the famous daçävatäras, ten incarnations of Lord Krishna. Most of these carvings can be seen even today. Unfortunately, the carving of
Garuda has been lost and two hands of the Lord have been separated due to rough handling. These two
hands have been preserved at a pujäri's home nearby.Jwala Nrsimha has been worshipped since then with
great pomp and reverence, and was visited by many prominent saints of Maharashtra. The current temple
structure was built under the guidance of Hemadri Pant, the disciple of the great vaiñëava scholar Vopadev and
commentator on Vopadev's magnum opus entitled Muktä-phalam. Hemadri Pant was an expert diplomat,
administrator, poet, theologian, and scholar.Mentioned by Srila Jiva Goswami in TattvaSandarbha as a historical authority, Hemadri
Pant held the position of minister in the court of King Ramachandra Dev of the Yadava dynasty of
Maharashtra. It was under the guidance of Hemadri Pant that the temple was constructed by the king
in 1273 A.D. The architecture of the temple is of a unique style named after Hemadri Pant, which
relies on usage of locally available raw material.The temple has two main doors — one on the
northern side and another on the eastern side. Visitors generally enter through the eastern door.
The deity is located 14 feet under the ground, and in order to reach there one has to climb down steep
staircases and pass through narrow tunnels many of which are under several inches of flowing water
from the nearby Krishna river. The temple complex contains a painting and samädhé of a siddhamahätma named Sri Siddheshwar Maharaja.
The devotees meditate on the wonderful sixteen arms of Jwala Nrsimha as follows:
dhyeyo yadä mahat-karma tadä ñoòaça-hasta-vän
nåsiàhaù sarva-lokeçaù sarväbharaëa-bhüñitaù
dvau-vidäraëa karmähau dvau cätroddharaëa-kñamau
cakra-çaìkha-dharäv anyäv anyau bäëa-dhanur-dharau
khaòga-kheöa-dharäv anyau dvau gadä-padma-dhäriëau
päçäìkuça-dharäv anyau dvau ripor-mukuöärpitau
iti ñodaçador-daëòa-maëòitaà nåharià vibhum
dhyäyed-ambuja-néläbhaà ugra-karmany-ananyadhiù
Amongst all types of meditations on the great activities of the Lord, let there be meditation on the
sixteen-handed Lord Nrsimha, the Lord of all the worlds, decorated with all ornaments. Two of his
arms are engaged in tearing apart the demon Hiranyakashipu, while two others prevent the demon
from resisting. Two others carry the disc and the conch, while two others carry a bow and arrows.
Two others carry a sword and a shield, while two others carry a club and a lotus. Two other hands
carry a rope and a chastisement rod, while two others are placed on the crown of the demon. In
this way, the sixteen hands of the almighty Lord Nrsimhadev are decorated. One should meditate
upon this dark-hued lotus like form of the Lord, who is the performer of ferocious activities and the
master of infinite universes.
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