Antharvedi Laxmi Narshima Swamy Temple

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple  is situated in temple town named Antarvedi ofSakhinetipalle Mandal, located in the East Godavari district of the Andhra Pradesh state in India. The temple is situated at the place where the Bay of Bengal and Vashista Godavari, a tributary of the Godavari River, meet.

History

The temple constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries. There is also a temple of Lord Siva that is older than Narasimha Swamy temple. The temple's idol of Lord Siva was installed by Lord Sri Rama.

In the 18th century, Peddapuram Rajas were the trustees and were responsible for developing the temple. Mogaltur Raja's are the traditional trustees of Antarvedi Temple, with this duty beginning in the 19th century. Late Shri Raja Kalidindi Kumar Ramachandra Raja Bahadur also contributed a lot to the temple. He was the former chairman of temple development and the hierarchical trustee of temple. Later, the present temple was constructed by Adi Narayana, a merchant who was also an overseas businessman.

The lord and temple was gifted along with many priceless jewels from past kings, nobles and even the East India Company. These jewels have been stored in a vault at the treasury department for the last 50 – 60 years. Through the great efforts and contributions of then local M.L.A. Sri Alluri Krishnam Raju and the temple authorities, the age old jewellery of the god is being brought to Antarvedi and the idols of the Lord are being decorated during the Kalyanotsavam.

Annual Kalyanotsavam

The area's religious fair is held on Bheeshma Ekadasi, which is generally in January or February. The annual Kalyanotsavam will begin on the day of Ratha Saptami and concludes on the day of Pournami with Chakra Snanam. It attracts lakhs of people to this usually sleepy village located at the confluence of River Godavari with Bay of Bengal. Lord Narasimha Swamy's Kalyanam is performed on Dasami and Rath yatra was performed on 'Ekadasi day'. The royal Polamuru Sree Raja Kalidindi family descendants have rights to submit talmbarlu biyyam and other marriage items. The royal Mogaltur Sree raja Kalidindi family male descendants are the first people to pull the rope of rath, and then it is pulled by the devotees.

Hundreds of thousands of devotees attend this festival starting on Dasami and continuing until the full moon day. Thousands of devotees thronged the Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple on Thursday night to witness the celestial wedding of the Lord with goddess Lakshmi. The rituals began with spata nadi jalabhishekam (abhishekam to Lord Narasimha Swami and goddess Lakshmi with water fetched from seven rivers). All rituals commenced as ordained in Vaikhanasa Agama Sastra. Maha shanthi homam was performed from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mudrikalankarana is one of the main rituals before the kalyanam. Bellamkonda and Vundavalli families sponsored the ritual.

In keeping with tradition, archakas from Peruru participate in special puja to Koormanatha Swami, whose idol was caught in the nets of fishermen in Raktatulya River during the 14th century.