Guru Narasimha Temple, Saligrama

The Guru Narasimha Temple in Saligrama, on NH 66 about 22 km from Udupi, honours Narasimha, Vishnu in his lion-headed form, who is the town's chief deity. The two-handed, lion-faced main image is dated to the 8th century. Held to be self-manifested and made wholly of saligrama stone, it sits in a yogic pose with conch and discus, on a Mahaganapati yantra. Legend says the priest Bhattacharya, who came with the Kadamba prince Lokaditya, installed it after Ganapati appeared to him in a dream, and that lions and elephants once lived here in peace. The Kota Brahmins of 14 surrounding villages still take Narasimha as their only guru.

The west-facing image has two ponds, Shankha Teertha and Chakra Teertha, on either side. A crack on its head is explained by a story that it once faced east, scorching crops in its gaze, until an angry Brahmin struck it with a plough. Outside, an Anjaneya shrine smeared with sindhura and butter faces the deity to soften its gaze.