Did you know that the Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple in Gorur Karnataka, built in the sixteenth century, has the self manifest Vigraha (idol) of Lord Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Lion-Man form, facing West?
The Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple in Gorur, Hassan district of Karnataka, is a quaint temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in his fourth avatara (Incarnation) in a lion-man form. Unsually, the self manifest stone Vigraha of Lord Narasimha faces west, instead of the usual east direction, as it is beleived that a sage known as Gokarna rishi did penance on the banks of the Hemavathi River (a tributary of the divine Kaveri River) here facing east. It is a local belief that the Lord Narasimha appeared to the rishi at this very spot on a stone formation in a Yogic posture (hence known as Yoga Narasimha); and the place initially came to be known as Gokarna Kshetra which over the centuries got changed to Gorur in the fifteenth century (1435?) when the village came into existence .
Historically, it is said that the temple around the self manifest Idol of Narasimha was renovated/rebuilt around 1586 AD in Hoysala style of architecture. Legend, however, credits the original temple to two brothers named Dodda Narasaiah and Chikka Narasaiah (period unknown) who while resting at this place found a cow feeding a huttha (anthill) which when they excavated out of curisoity revealed the stone vigraha of Lord Narasimha.
The temple, small in size, as it stands on the left bank of the Hemavathy River, has an entrance gopuram, an ornate three-tiered tower decorated with stucco image of the idol of Gokarna Maharishi. Just outside this entrance tower there is small four pillared Utsava mandapa. The entrance gate tower leads to an open court yard where there is a stone dwajastamba (flag mast) and balipeetha followed by the Mahamantapa which leads to the Garba Griha (Sanctum sanctorum). The facia of the mandapa has stucco images of Ugra Narasimha, and other nine forms (avataras) of Lord Vishnu, Hanuman, Garuda. and many other demi gods and apsaras. The Garbagriha has the exqusitely carved self manifest Moolavigraha (principal deity) of Lord Narasimha, facing west, eight feet tall, in a divine Yogic posture with a lion-like face and claws and with a human-like torso and lower body; the idol has three eyes.
Close to the Yoga Narasimha Temple , there is another famous temple called the Para Vasudeva temple of the Vijayanagara period (1446 -1520) in the heart of the Gorur town. Also seen in this Gokarna Kshetra (town Gorur) are temples dedicated to Trikuteswara and Kailaseshwara.
The main festivals at this Temple in Gorur are the Rathotsava ( Car Festival) during the nine day Bramhotsavam (Januaray-February) and the Narasimha Jayanthi (in May).
This temple in Gorur is 22 km from Hassan city on the Hassan- Arkalgud Road, and about 215 km from Bangalore.
Narasipur Char
