Saint Narahari Tirtha:
A three-foot statue of 13th century saint Narahari Tirtha depicting him with script on palm leaves and flanked by devotees was discovered at Simhachalam Temple in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.Saint Narahari Tirtha (1243-1333 AD) was a Dvaita philosopher, intellectual, scholar, statesman and saint in the Madhva tradition.He hailed from Chikakolu (modern-day Srikakulam) in Andhra Pradesh, born into an aristocratic family in the Gajapati empire of Odisha. He was a follower of Madhvacharya, the originator of Dvaita philosophy and propagated the Madhvacharya’s Vaiṣṇavism in the region, ensuring its firm establishment in a non-interfering, secular manner. He also contributed to the development of regional art forms and played a vital role in propagating Yakṣagana Bayalaṭa (a dance-drama form from coastal Karnataka) and the classical dance style that evolved into Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh.
