Built in a distinctive style blending Kalinga and Vesara architecture, the temple's earliest inscriptions date to the 11th century, with major patronage from the Eastern Ganga and Vijayanagara dynasties.
The deity is perpetually covered in sandal paste (chandanam) except during the annual Chandana Yatra, when the true form is revealed to devotees.
Nearest airport and railway station: Visakhapatnam (~16 km), well connected by city buses and taxis to the hill shrine.
Devasthanam guesthouses and numerous hotels in Visakhapatnam city cater to pilgrims.
Official site: simhachalamdevasthanam.org
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