Thondanur (Ramanujar Temple) - Yoga Narasimha

Location

Place

Kere Thonnur, Pandavapura Taluk, Mandya District, Karnataka 571434

Thondanur (Kere Thonnur) · Karnataka · India

Stala Purana

The soul of this place

Narasimha Deity believed installed by Prahlada in Kretha Yuga (~5500 years). Shri Ramanuja acharya seen in a one of its kind Sesha Roopam at this temple The Magical Dhanda used to liberate Hoysala King Bitta Deva’s daughter can be seen to this day inside the Yoga Narasimha Sannidhi Located 20kms North of Srirangapatna and just North of the Nambi Narayana Temple is the Yoga Narasimha Perumal temple in Thondanur, one whose idol is believed to have been installed by Prahalada in the Kretha Yuga. Hence, the idol here is said to date back about 5500years. One has to climb about 15steps to reach the temple. This temple is seen as a special Abhimana Sthalam of Ramanuja. Here at Thondanur, Ramanuja’s disciple Thondanur Nambi, who also built the famous Thonnur kere (the huge dam North of this temple) brought the Hoysala King Bitta Deva and his daughter to Ramanuja. The King’s daughter had been afflicted with Brahma Rakshasha and was not in a proper state of mind. Ramanuja directed the king to take his daughter to the huge Eri (Sarovar) known as ‘Pancha Apsara Thataka’. He asked the king’s daughter to bathe there and then invoke the blessings of Yoga Narasimha at the temple South of the dam. At the temple, the Archaka placed the Narasimha Dhanda on the daughter and to the king’s surprise she was instantly liberated from the illness. To this day, one sees Yoga Narasimha holding this magical Dhanda in his right hand. Ramanuja in Sarpa Roopam When the time had come for him to leave for Srirangam, the people of Thondanur, who had become fond of him, asked him to stay back here. He told them that he would have to leave but would leave his powers here and installed his own idol here at Yoga Narasimha temple with Vaikanasa Agama Sastras and is seen even today in the Sarpa Roopa form. While in Melkote, he has an Abhimana status, in Srirangam he is seen in ‘Shareeram’ (body form) and in a Sthoola Roopam (Athma form) at Sriperambadur. Here in Thondanur at the Yoga Narasimha temple on the banks of the Thonnur Eri, Ramanuja is seen in a Sookshma Roopam (Atom) with conch and chakra. A box used by Ramanuja in the 12th Century AD is still seen inside the temple.