Mangalagiri is a quaint town in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Literally translating to 'The Auspicious Hill', this place is one of the 8 important Mahakshetrams or sacred destinations in India. It is believed that Lord Vishnu had manifested himself on the very soil of Mangalagiri and Lakshmi Devi performed penance on the zenith of the hill as well. Owing to its legends pertaining to the divine, there is a tremendous footfall of believers here throughout the year. In addition to its Vishnu temples, places of tourist interest around Mangalagiri include Chinna Jeeyar ashram in Seeta Nagaram, Vundavalli Caves, Bhavani Island, Kanakadurga temple in Vijayawada direction and Jain Temple, Uppalapadu Birds sanctuary, Amaravati in Guntur direction.
The Vaishnav temples of Mangalgiri attract devotees and pilgrims from all over the country. There are three Narasimha Swamy temples in Mangalagiri. The temple on the hill is that of Lord Panakala Narasimha Swamy and it is said that the lord has been worshipped since the beginning of the Satya Yug. It was formally built by the then Zamindar Sri Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu during the period 1807-1809 and it has completed 200 years of its construction. It was built by the then Zamindar Sri Raja Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu during the period 1807-1809 and it has completed 200 years of its construction.
As you move down the hill, you can see another temple dedicated to Lakshmi Narayan Swami here. This temple is a revered site of worship as well, and it is believed that the deity in the sanctum was installed by Yudhishthir himself. On the right side of the steps (provided to reach the temple), there is a stone inscription by Sri Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagar, and a little further up, the footprints of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu can be seen. Midway up the steps, there is a temple of Lord Panakala Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy where there is only the face of the deity with the mouth opened wide.