When Lord Caitanya visited the southern part of India, He first went to the great temple known as Jiyara-nṛsiṁha-kṣetra. This temple is situated in a place known as Siṁhācalam, five miles from the Viśākhāpattana railway station. The temple is situated on the top of a hill. There are many temples in that area, but Jiyara-nṛsiṁha-kṣetra temple is the largest of all. This temple is filled with beautiful sculpture, of interest to many students, and due to its popularity it is a very rich temple. An inscription in the temple states that the King of Vijayanagara formerly decorated this temple with gold and even smeared the body of the Deity with gold. To facilitate attendance, there are free apartments for visitors at the temple. The temple is managed by priests of the Rāmānujācārya sect.
When Lord Caitanya visited this temple, He praised the Deity and quoted a verse from Śrīdhara Svāmī's commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.9.1):
- ugro 'py anugra evāyaṁ
- sva-bhaktānāṁ nṛkeśarī
- keśarīva svapotānām
- anyeṣām ugra-vikramaḥ
"Although Lord Nṛsiṁha is very severe to demons and nondevotees, He is very kind to His submissive devotees like Prahlāda." Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared as a half-man, half-lion incarnation of Kṛṣṇa when Prahlāda, a boy devotee of the Lord, was harassed by his demoniac father Hiraṇyakaśipu. Just as a lion is very ferocious to other animals but very kind and submissive to his cubs, so Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared ferocious to Hiraṇyakaśipu and very kind to His devotee Prahlāda.