Hampi Narasimha Statue & Badavi Linga

The temples of Lakshmi Narasimha and Badavi Linga are minor shrines situated right next to each other. They are situated a few meters from Balakrishna Temple past Talarighatta Gate. Unlike grand scale mega temples of Hampi, both these shrines contain grand scale statues but the shrines themselves are minor.

According to an inscription found here, these temples/statues were carved in the year 1528 CE during the rule of Krishnadevaraya.

Until recently, this temple/statue was known by the name of “Ugra Narasimha” statue. “Ugra” in Sanskrit language means ferocious and Narasimha is a combination of two words – “Nara” and “Simha”. “Nara” means human while “Simha” means Lion. The fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu was in the form of a human body and lion’s face. Lord Vishnu took this avatar to get rid of the evil daithya ruler Hiranyakashyapa (also spelt as Hiranyakashipu).

The temple does not hvae grandiose gopura or ornate tall pillars that you typically see in Hampi. The shrine consists of four walls and an open main door. The ASI has put up a metal gate to prevent people from entering the shrine. Even the roof of the temple has disappeared over time, the statue is open to the sky.

The Ugranarasimha statue at Hampi is approximately 6.7meters tall from the pedestal to the Adishesha thorana. The head of the statue has bulged cheeks, ferocious teeth, protruding eyes and pointed ears. The head also wears a crown carved at the top and this crown is about 1.5-2feet tall. The arch over the head contains a seven hooded serpent “Adishesha”. 

The human shaped body of the statue is in seated position, also known as Yoga Mudra. Similar seated Yoga Narasimha temples can be found in many Hoysala period temples too. In this posture, the legs are crossed, and the arms stretch to have the forearms rest on the knees. The two knees today are held together by a flat band carved out of stone. The monolith idol had four arms and might have held Shankha (conch), Chakra (discus), Gada (mace) and Padma (lotus flower) at some point of time but these portions are broken today.

The temple until recently was known as Ugra Narasimha Temple – meaning Narasimha of terrifying countenance. But the traces of presence of Goddess Lakshmi’s idol on the left lap indicate the statue to be not of an angry form but of a benevolent character eager to bless his devotees. Hence, the temple is now known as Lakshmi Narasimha. However, sometimes you may see people still referring to it as Ugra Narasimha out of habit.

There was also a statue of Goddess Lakshmi sitting on Lord Narasimha’s left lap as per the iconography, but this statue of Goddess Lakshmi also has been damaged and removed. What remains of Goddess Lakshmi’s presence is her right hand carved in such a way that she is holding Lord Narasimha behind. This hand of Goddess Lakshmi can be seen on Lord Narasimha’s back. To witness this, you need to enter the temple and that is not permitted by ASI for safety and security reasons.

The whole statue of Narasimha and Lakshmi was cut in a single boulder. While other kingdoms further southwards used Schist, a soft stone as the medium of their constructions, the rulers of Hampi decided to go in for granite as the building material for their temples. The hard granite was available on the site in plenty and was economic. Granite, being hard, was not suitable for the delicate filigree work that could be carved on Schist. What the artists had to sacrifice on the delicacy of the work was compensated by the massiveness of the sculptures. The statue of Ugra Narasimha is a perfect example of what they achieved in volume which they could not in finesse.

Situated right beside the Narasimha shrine is the Badavi Linga temple. The name “Badavi Linga” literally translates to “a poor woman’s Shiva temple” but he monolithic stone Shivaling is not poor by any measure. The temple just like the next-door Narasimha statue is a small shrine with a large Shivaling that measures about 3 meters tall. The pedestal of the Shivaling is always surrounded by water. According to the locals, the water is sources from nearby Tungabhadra River through a series of aqueducts and brought to this shrine for worship.

There is no pooja/worship for the Narasimha statue as the statue is shattered and according to Hindu traditions, broken and damaged idols are not worshipped. The Badavi Linga is intact and receives worship. Until the year 2021, a frail and fragile looking octogenarian Sri Krishna Bhat was entrusted with the upkeep and pooja ceremonies of Badavi Linga temple. He was appointed for this noble deed some 40 years ago by the descendants of the royal family of Anegundi and surprisingly was permitted uninterrupted by the ASI too. After his demise in the year 2021, a new priest has been appointed.

Both Narasimha Statue and Badavi Linga are protected monuments under Archaeological Survey of India. They are situated right next to each other and a short walk away from Balakrishna Temple. These two are not ticketed monuments, there is no fee to visit these shrines. The monuments are open to visitors from the morning sunrise until sunset. Though these two shrines do not have doors to prevent visitors, the guard deployed at the temples who will discourage you from going near the shrines. This is done keeping the visitor security in mind.

Both the shrines and the statues inside face east and the morning golden rays of sun when they fall upon the statues, it creates a picturesque portrait. As the day progresses, the sun moves overhead and subsequently behind the temple, so it is best to vis these shrines in the first half of the day, preferably early morning.

The shrines are surrounded by lush green plantation and the array of coconut trees in the backdrop give the temples a magnificent look.