Shri Narsimha Mandir Pokharni

Getting there

• By air

  Nanded is the nearest airport, about 85 km from Pokharni.

• By train

  Pokharni is a railway station on the Parbhani-Parli route. The district page also says you can reach it from Parbhani by train.

• By road

  From Parbhani, the road to Pokharni runs on the Parbhani-Latur highway via Gangakhed.

Why devotees come here

Shri Narsimha Mandir at Pokharni, about 18 km from Parbhani, is known for its tiny sanctum, a room about 3 feet by 4 feet, and it is listed among the tourist places of Parbhani district. Its legend tells of a king whose blind girl child was cured. Sri Narasimhadeva is worshipped here.

The presiding Deity is Sri Narasimhadeva, and Laxmi Devi is situated nearby. Local legend says a king built this temple after his girl child was cured of blindness. He wanted to move the Deity from Bhaktagan village into the new temple, but the villagers refused. Instead, a two-armed Deity holding a chakra and a conch was installed at Pokharni.

The construction is in the Hemadpanthi architectural style. Its sanctum, the gabhara, is very small, a room about 3 feet by 4 feet. The entrance is only 3 feet high, and devotees must squat to see the Deity through it.

Pilgrims come from Andhra Pradesh and other surrounding states. The district page says they can travel easily by car or rail to this holy site. The temple is about 18 km from Parbhani, in Parbhani district. The district's list of tourist places includes it under this name.

Tips for your visit

• The compound is quite large, but the sanctum is only about 3 feet by 4 feet.
• The district page says getting darshan at Pokharni is somewhat difficult.

Questions people ask