Ahobilam

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Ahobilam

Village and temple in the Sirvel taluk of Kurnool District, Madras, situated in 15 degree 8' N. and 78 degree 45' E., on the Nalla- malais. Population (1901), 151. The temple is the most sacred Vaishnava shrine in the District, and has three parts : namely, Diguva (lower) Ahobilam temple at the foot of the hills, Yeguva (upper) Ahobilam about 4 miles higher up, and a small shrine on the summit.

The first is the most interesting, as it contains beautiful reliefs of scenes from the Ramayana on its walls and on two great stone porches (manta- pams) which stand in front of it, supported by pillars 8 feet in circum- ference, hewn out ol the rock. One of these, the Kalyana mantapam, or 'wedding hall,' was pronounced by Mr. Fergusson to be 'a fine bold specimen of architecture, wanting the delicacy and elegance of the earlier examples, but full of character and merit.' The annual festival takes place in the months of March and April.

The temple and the connected math in Tiruvallur in Chingleput District, though they possess endowments almost throughout the Presidency and even beyond it, are now in a neglected condition.