The largest statue in Hampi, the Lakshmi Narsimha is one of the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu. Narsimha which literally means half man half lion. The lord Narsimha is sitting on the coil of the giant 7 headed snake or the ‘sheshanaga’, the 7 heads of the snake acts as a hood on the statue, the god sits in a cross-legged Yoga position with a belt supporting the knees. The original statue contained the image of goddess Lakshmi, consort of the god, sitting on his lap.
But this statue has been damaged seriously during the raid leading to the fall of Vijayanagara. Even the damaged portion of such a large statue of Lakshmi carved on his lap is missing. But the goddess’s hand is visible resting on his back in embracing posture. If you get a chance to go inside this enclosure, it is possible to see the hand of the goddess. Even the nails & the rings on her fingers are so perfectly carved.
Lion face of the Narsimha is also sometimes referred to as the ‘UgraNarsimha’ or the ‘Feirce Narsimha’. The Hindu mythology also has an interesting tale on the origins of the Narsimha. Nonetheless the statue is among the prime attractions of the Vijayanagar ruins.
