Kadiri is a small town in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, about 100 kilometres from the district headquarters. Its name comes from the Sanskrit word khadri, meaning a tree. Most travellers come here for one reason: the ancient Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, one of the most venerated Vaishnava shrines in the region.
The temple, believed to date from the Vijayanagara period under the Rayas, houses a swayambhu murthy — a self-manifested image, not carved by human hands. Devotees travel from across Andhra Pradesh and beyond to receive darshan. What draws the faithful most is a remarkable phenomenon: after the daily abhishekam (ritual bathing of the deity), the idol is said to perspire, and the archakas (temple priests) must continually wipe the moisture away as it keeps flowing. Whether you interpret this as miracle or curiosity, it makes Kadiri memorable.
Behind the main sanctum lies a pushkarini, the sacred tank common to South Indian temples, lending the complex a sense of calm that contrasts with the bustle of the surrounding town. The temple is considered especially auspicious, and pilgrimage traffic peaks during major festivals in the Hindu calendar.
Kadiri itself is a modest working town without great tourist infrastructure, but the temple alone justifies a stop for anyone travelling through this part of the Rayalaseema plateau.