Hiranyakasipu disturbed the Devas as he received a blessing from Brahma that no human being could kill him, nor could he be killed in the morning , noon, or night, or in air, water , or soil. His son Prahlada had been an adamant Vishnu devotee against his father's wishes. He also attempted at different times to slay Prahalada, only to be saved by Vishnu's divine grace. During a heated argument with Prahalada, Hiranyakasipu asked if Vishnu was everywhere present and then went on to smash a pillar with his sword. Vishnu took Narasimha's avatar and stood up from the pillar. Narasimha was a lion-faced human being, and murdered Hiranyakasipu in a doorway at night, which was neither land nor air.
Ages gone by, when Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort was at this place doing penance. Hanuman brought an image of Saligrama and Lakshmi asked him to get her a view of Vishnu in Narasimha form. Hanuman entrusted her with the saligram, and told her to keep it until he came back. At this place Lakshmi put the portrait, which had grown into a mount before Hanuman could return. Narasimha appeared before both of them, and set his place of residence there. Also associated with this legend is the Narasimhaswamy temple, situated right at the foot hills, and Hanuman is believed to have worshipped him in standing posture creating an axial distance from the temple.
The temple has a flat gateway tower leading to the santum with a pillared hall. The sanctum houses the 18 ft Anjaneyar image in the foothills facing axially the Narasimha temple, 130 m away. Anjaneyar's portrait is carved from a single stone and is thought to have existed since the 5th century. There is no roof over the sanctum and Anjaneyar has a special iconography that features a sword in his waist and carries a saligramic garland.