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Patala Athri Narasimhar Temple

Famous temples · Tamil Nadu

Patala Athri Narasimhar Temple

Vishnu as Narasimha, in a rock-cut cave shrine at Singaperumal Koil

Checked 22 Oct 2026 with 5 sources2 min read

DirectionsShare

Getting there

  • By air

    Chennai International Airport serves the city of Chennai. The temple is about 45 km from Chennai.

  • By train

    Singaperumal Koil railway station is on the Chennai Suburban Railway.

  • By road

    The Singaperumal Koil junction is on GST Road (National Highway 45), some 45 km south of Chennai.

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Rules to know

  • The temple follows the Tenkalai tradition of worship, based on the Vaikasana Agama.

Why devotees come here

Patala Athri Narasimhar Temple stands in Singaperumal Koil, a satellite town of Chennai in Chengalpattu district. Vishnu is worshipped here as Narasimha, and the temple is one of the 108 sacred Vaishnava shrines known as Abhimana Kshethrams. Its presiding deity is carved from the rock inside a cave sanctum.

Legend says Vishnu appeared here as Narasimha to sages doing penance, after he had killed the asura king Hiranyakashipu. The legend adds that Narasimha killed the demon at dusk, in a doorway, a place that was neither land nor air.

The Pallavas are said to have built the temple in the 8th century. The oldest inscription dates from the time of Raja Raja Chola and records a gift of 26 sheep, whose ghee was used for the temple lamps. Earlier, the temple was known as Alvar Narasingadevar and Narsinga Vinnagar Alvar.

The temple is rock-cut and covers about 1.5 acres in two precincts. The roof over the sanctum has stucco images of Vishnu's avatars. Worship follows the Tenkalai tradition, based on the Vaikasana Agama. During Aani Brahmotsavam, the temple car with the festival deities is pulled around the streets of Singaperumalkoil.

Festivals

  • February or MarchMaasi float festival

    The presiding deities are drawn in a float in the temple tank.

  • April or MayChittirai Brahmotsavam

    A Brahmotsavam festival of the temple, held during the Chittirai month.

Tips for your visit

  • The temple was earlier in Kanchipuram district, and is now in Chengalpattu district.
  • Pavithra Utsavam is held in Aani, which falls in June and July.

Darshan at home

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Patala Athri Narasimhar Temple is not in the Divya Darshan 360 app yet. These Famous temples temples are, with darshan videos you can watch at home:

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Questions people ask

Why is this temple important?

It is one of the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams of the Vaishnava tradition. Legend links it to Vishnu's appearance as Narasimha to sages.

Is the presiding deity carved from rock?

Yes. The presiding deity is a rock-cut image in a cave sanctum, seated with the right leg bent and the left leg hanging.

Are there other shrines inside the temple?

Yes. There are separate shrines for Lakshmi Narasimha, Ramanuja, Manavala Mamunigal and Vishvaksena.

When are the main festivals?

The float festival is held in February or March, and Chittirai Brahmotsavam in April and May. During Aani Brahmotsavam, the temple car is pulled through the town.

How we checked this page

On 22 Oct 2026 we checked every fact on this page against these sources, official ones first. Anything we could not confirm is left out.

  1. Padalathri Narasimhar Temple, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  2. Singaperumalkoil, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  3. Singaperumal Koil railway station, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  4. Chennai International Airport, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  5. Singaperumal Koil, Times of India timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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