The process of second installment started for grinding sandal wood to make sandal paste to apply on Simhachalam Appanna Swamy. It will be completed in 4 instalments in total after which the idol will be seen by the devotees insulated by the thick layers of sandal.  

It is customary at the famous old temple of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy to apply the paste of sandal wood specially extracted by hand grinding it under the auspices of the temple.  The idol of the deity is always seen with the thick layers of the sandal wood paste all over the idol excepting on the day of Akshaya Triteeya that falls in the Hindu month of Vaisakha that falls in the month of May.  On that day, the deity is seen in His true form (nijaroopa darshanam) for 12 hours after peeling off the sandal paste.  

Again the sandal paste will be applied in 4 installments starting from the Chandanotsavam that is peeling off of sandal wood ceremony and the peeled sandal wood is treated as the sacred and miraculous prasadam to be taken home by the devotees to bring health, luck and prosperity.  

The deity is also called ‘Simhadri Appanna’ by the devotees with love and affection which are part of devotion.  

AW-SriJa