Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh · Lord Narasimha · Vishnu Temple
A hill shrine near Vijayawada where the deity is offered panakam (jaggery water) and is said to accept exactly half.
Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple on Mangalagiri hill in Guntur district is famed for the offering of jaggery water (panakam) to the deity, whose mouth is said to accept only half the poured quantity. The shrine is a major Vaishnava stop near Vijayawada on the Krishna river plain.
History
Mangalagiri’s name reflects the ancient hill (giri) associated with Narasimha worship in the Amaravati–Vijayawada cultural region; the Panakala form is distinct for the ritual offering of sweetened water rather than abhisheka with milk alone.
The temple is referenced in regional pilgrimage circuits linking Vijayawada’s Kanaka Durga, Amaravati, and the Guntur plain Vaishnava shrines; the official Devasthanam site publishes darshan-related information for pilgrims.
Stories
Why Narasimha Accepts Jaggery Water
Temple tradition says that after Narasimha destroyed a demon named Namuchi, his anger was so fierce that the gods begged him to be calm. It is said that Vishnu replied that he would be content with ghee in the Treta Yuga, milk in the Dvapara Yuga and panakam, sweetened jaggery water, in the Kali Yuga.
This is the reason given for the deity's name, Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha, and for the practice of offering panakam at the hill shrine. The story comes from devotional and temple-tradition accounts rather than a dated historical record.
Inscriptions and an Eleven-Storey Gopuram
Mangalagiri has three Narasimha shrines: one at the foot of the hill, Panakala Narasimha on the hill, and Gandalaya Narasimha at the top. Near the steps at the foot is an inscribed pillar dated 1520, recording village grants and the Vijayanagara general's capture of Kondavidu in 1515.
Another stone carries records of grants from the reign of Sadasiva Raya in 1538. The tall gopuram at the foot-of-hill temple, eleven storeys and about 47 metres high, was raised by Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu between 1807 and 1809.
Good to know
Panakala (jaggery water) offering tradition to Lakshmi Narasimha
Hill shrine above Mangalagiri town on the Vijayawada–Guntur corridor
Often paired with Kanaka Durga and Amaravati in the same day trip
Getting there
Nearest airport: Vijayawada (Gannavaram). Mangalagiri is on the Chennai–Kolkata rail corridor with a railway station; local buses and taxis run from Vijayawada and Guntur.
Best time to visit: Oct – Mar