Devotees to visit Chandanotsavam festival tomorrow

Visakhapatnam, Apr 29 (UNI) Lakhs of devotees of Lord Lakshmi Nrusimha Swamy, the presiding deity of Simhachalam hill shrinee on the outskirts of the city, a major religious center for Vishnavites, would throng at the hillock to have the "Nijaroopa Darshanam' (holy appearance in true form) of the Lord during Chandanotsavam celebrations tomorrow.

The lion-man incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu, known for his fiery nature, gives out his true form only for 12 hours in a year. For the rest of the time, the priests keep him covered with layers of sandalwood paste to cool his tempers.

For this, the Endowment department of the State Government buys hundreds of kgs of sandalwood from Tamil Nadu to prepare about 125 kgs of paste. The process of preparing the paste is done by the temple priests a week before the Chandanotsavam, which is held during the Hindu calendar month of Visakha (April-May).

Lord Mahavishnu took the shape of half man-half lion, to kill the demon king Hiranyakasipu. The original shape of the deity is in Tribhanga posture, which has two hands with the head of lion on a human torso. Once the sandal paste is applied daily on the statue of the Lord, it resembles a Sivalinga.

The cover of sandal paste accumulated on the deity through the daily sevas is then peeled off before Chandanotsava to give the devotees the 'Nijaroopadarshan.' At the end of the day, the idol is again applied with sandal paste afresh.

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