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14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS
The great tribe of Chenchus of Andhra were Saivites who later mingled with the Vaishnavites in time. In fact Lakshmi the wife of Visnu is considered by the locals as "Chenchu Lakshmi" who married the Narasimha. Adi kavi Valmiki himself is said to hail from a tribe in this area. Beddar Kannappa from the Boya Tribe became one of the celebrated Saivite Bahaktha Nayanars. Srisailam still remain one of the great Saiva centers. (Encyclopaedia of Indian Tribes, Shyam Singh Sasi) Later as the Vaishanavites took over that area and they built temples commemorating their victory in Ahobilam. In fact today Narasimha worship is most popular in the this part of South India. The main places of pilgrimage today associated with Sri Narasimha are those places where the events described above are reputed to have taken place. Ahobilam is claimed to be the birth place of Lord Narasimha, there exist Navanarsimha (nine Narasimhas).
VAMANA AVATARA
NCHANISTAN
TAUTAS
SANCLASS
OGEN
"In the account of the Vamana Avatara in the Bhagavatapurana VIII 18-23 it is clear that Bali maintains absolute truth and fulfils his promise of donation to the Dwarf (Vamana) even though Bali
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