Lord Narasimha is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu; he has a lion head and a human body. In the Indian mythology, Lord Narasimha comes out of a pillar and rescues Prahallad, from his father Hiranyakashipu (demon). There are various temples dedicated to Lord Narasimha and among them Narasimha Jhira Cave Temple in Bidar is a unique one.
Bidar is known for its historic sites and is called as the ‘City of Whispering Monuments’ in North Karnataka. The speciality of this Bidar temple is that, the statue of the god Narasimha is inside a cave and the cave tunnel is filled with water stream at all times. The statue of Narasimha is at the end of the cave and the devotees have to literally walk inside the cave filled in 4-5ft water to reach the statue.
The mythological story says: after killing Hiranyakashipu (demon), Lord Narsimha comes to this cave to kill Jalasura (another demon). When Jalasura is killed by the Lord, the demon is believed to have transformed into water. That is why, the cave is full of water.
Another legend says, the idol is self-manifested and hence makes it even more powerful. A visit to Narasimha Jhira Temple is said to fulfill all the wishes of a person. People have a very strong belief in this god. In the sanctum, a Shiva Linga is also there along with Narasimha Swamy’s idol. It is believed, Jalasura was a great devotee of Shiva and hence the cave houses the Linga which he worshipped. People have to walk inside the tunnel one by one. Since the space is less, only 8 -9 people can enter the sanctum.
Narasimha Jhira temple has several names: Jharni Narasimha Swamy, Narasimha Zarani Cave Temple, Narasimha Jharana, etc. Locals strongly believe in the power of this Narasimha Swamy and hence they often visit the temple. Narasimha Zarni Cave Temple is definitely one of the unique temples in India. A walk through the waist deep water in this cave tunnel is exciting. A travel around the monuments and this temple in Bidar is surely an interesting experience.
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