9) Kattu Narasimha Perumal Temple (Azhagiya Singar)

The Kattu Narasimhaperumal Temple is a Narasimha temple situated in the suburb of Srirangam .. It is also known as Azhagiya Singar temple and is situated at a distance of 1 kilometre from the Srirangam railway station.

The temple predates the Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam and is one of the oldest temples in the city.

Kattu Narasimhaperumal Temple (Azhagiya Singar)

Kattu Narasimhaperumal Temple (Azhagiya Singar) 2

As the Lord appeared here in the middle of a forest and stayed back to protect the devotees, he came to be called ‘Kaattu’ Azhagiya Singar.

Centuries ago, with this temple being in the midst of a forest and with minimal human existence, it was considered unsafe and hence the utsava deity was placed inside the Koorathaazhvan Sannidhi at the Srirangam Ranganatha temple.

That tradition has come to stay and today one finds the Utsava deity of Lord Narasimha not at the Kaattazhagivya Singa Perumal Koil but at the Srirangam Ranganatha temple. Old time residents say that this place was very much like a forest till the early 1970s. It is only in the last 3 decades that there has been development around the Kaatazhagiya Singar temple.

The place was a jungle in the olden days with elephant menace. Elephants cannot be killed according to scriptures as it would put people in a circle of sins. People were struggling for safety. They prayed to Narasimha building a temple for Him. The animals slowly left the place. Hence the Lord is named Kattazhagiasingar (handsome jungle God).

Kattu Narasimhaperumal Temple (Azhagiya Singar)

Once a year, on the evening of Vijayadasami day, Namperumal, the Utsava deity of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam, comes on a street procession to this temple in a palanquin. Goddess is believed to have undertaken penance at this place and handed Nam Perumal a bow and an arrow at the end of the 10th day of the Navarathri festival.

After Thirumanjam, the event of Lord Namperumal on a Horse Vaahanam, striking an arrow on the Vanni tree to signify the destruction of evil forces and protection of the devotees, is enacted every year on the Vijayadasami evening at this temple.