Drama in the cave Shrine in Bidar. Jharani Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Museum. Many interesting and celebrated temples of India are among them. The Jharani Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Bidar, Karnataka, is one of the most extraordinary and particularly sacred religious shrines for Hindus. It is located in a natural cave about 300 metres long and, like any other spiritual temple, we have to wade through the cave to come to the shrine. The idol of Lord Narasimha is believed to be swayambhu and is self-manifested here, leading to the reverence of pilgrims here.
The temple is also known as Narasimha Jharni or Narasimha Jhira Cave Temple. The cave is filled with water from a natural spring, and visitors walk through waist‑deep water for nearly 300 meters going to God. The cave itself is mystical– dark and cool, and filled with chanting. Lord Narasimha idols are worshipped and Goddess Lakshmi at the end of the cave. The water flowing through the cave is considered sacred for the believers and as they proceed to the spiritual sanctuary in which they stand, the water flows and purifies their souls as they walk.
Lord Narasimha killed the demon Jarasura at this very place according to the story. Jarasura died and his body has fallen into water till today in water flowing under the cave. Legend says the idol of Narasimha is swayambhu and is not carved by hands, but a natural thing. This belief contributes to the temple being sacred and thousands of people come all the time so very much.
Unlike most temples that allow the devotees to walk on the dry ground, they must walk through water to reach out to the deity. This walk, itself, is symbolic: it gets rid of impurities and allows for divine blessings at the same time. The temple combines beauty with spiritual power at the same time the temple is called one of the most rare cave shrines of India.
The temple is situated about one kilometer from Bidar City under the hills of Manichoola. It usually opens at 8:00 am every day. It is essential for them to be dressed light as the people are going through a hole in the cave and in our country the people would be very surprised to learn that this is there. Many of the elderly (and the physically vulnerable) people who walk in the cave do but even for the rest the experience is still very pleasant.
And this is with respect to our temple (see Chapter III): The Jharani Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple is not just a place of worship but a living representation of one's faith in everything - faith and love. Its cave setting, revered water and Swayambhu idol are just among the many extraordinary shrines that makes it one of Karnataka’s great shrines. To Hindu devotees it has brought in a spiritual journey and is testimony of India’s ancient tradition of remembering the divine on the earth’s behalf long after so many temples.
