On the Mangalagiri hill — the auspicious hill — near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh stands the Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha temple, one of the most singular of all the shrines of Narasimha. Here the Lord is worshipped through a wide-open mouth in the rock face, and accepts only one offering: panakam, sweet jaggery-water, which is poured in and heard to gurgle as the Lord drinks — and, wonderfully, he takes only half of whatever is offered, however much or little.
Though the offering is sweet, no ants or flies are ever found at the shrine, a marvel devotees hold as a sign of the Lord's living presence. Reached by a climb up the hill, Panakala Narasimha of Mangalagiri is among the most beloved and extraordinary Vishnu shrines of the South.
