Thirukkadigai

Thirukkadigai, also called Sholingapuram, is a Vishnu temple at Sholinghur in Ranipet district and one of the 108 Divya Desams praised by the Alvar saints. The name is linked to the belief that worship lasting a single kadigai, about 24 minutes, is enough to win the god's blessing. Inscriptions record gifts from rulers including Kulothunga Chola III, and in July 1781 the British defeated Hyder Ali in a battle at Sholinghur.

The temple is spread over twin hills. On the big hill, about 750 feet high and climbed by 1,305 steps, Narasimha sits in a yogic posture as Yoga Narasimha Swamy beneath a five-tiered gateway tower, with a shrine for his consort Amrithavalli. The smaller hill holds a four-armed Yoga Anjaneya, and a lower shrine at the foot of the big hill houses Bhaktavatsala Perumal. A hall halfway up honours the saint Doddacharya, and devotees perform rites for their ancestors at the Brahmatheertham tank. The Karthikai festival, the Chittirai Brahmotsavam and Narasimha Jayanti are the main celebrations.