A number of inscriptions state this temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu as the avatharam srikurmam tortoise,and the deity is called Srikurmanatha.The temple has beautiful pillered mantapas and some sculpters are made in granaite.
The Vimana is built in Chola style.The outer gates beyond the prakara were aded much later.The temple is originally Saivite,but was changed to vishnavite by Ramanujacharya.This is the only importent temple dedicated to lord Vishnu in the whole of India.
Legend: Narahari theertha wanted to become a sanyasin and remonstrated with his master that nothing useful was gained by his trying to acquire a kingdom.His master told him to go to the Gajapati kingdom to acquire the images of Rama and Sitha,so that their worship could be resorted.
Narahari went to Kalinga and was recieved with great enthusiasm by the people who made him their ruler.He ruled kalinga for five years as a regent for the minor prince.When the prince attained majority Narahari returned the kingdom him and took the idols of Rama and Sitha as Gurudakshina,and gave them to his master.
The latteer worshipped the images for 80 daysand handed them to his disciple Padmanabatirtha, who in turn worshipped them for 6 yeras and gave them back to Narasimhatirtha.
Having acquire the images, Narasimhatirtha went around preaching.One night he dreamt that an idol of Lord Vishnu was submerged near a tank in the town.He made arrangements to bring it out and establish proper worship.The story is vouched by the inscription and epigraphs found at the srikurmam temple.
The presiding deity the lord Vishnu is called Srikurmanatha.There are several sacred shrines within the temple.The lord first here to bless king Swetamahipathi.His bones were thrown in to the Swetapushkarini tank and these got converted in to tortoises or kurmas, and hence uncleaned persons are forbidden to touch the water in tank.
There is a famous Kshetrmahatyam in this temple told by Rishi Dattira.The stalapurana states that the sage heard Lord Vishnu in his dreams giving detail about the greatness of srikurmam.King Suta ruled Swetcherla.The queen was a pious lady and once the king approched her on a sudda ekadasi day, which she dedicated to prayer and meditation.
The queen prayed that her vrata should not be broken, and Lord Srikurmanatha , ordered Ganga to flow between the king the queen.The king was thus seperated from the queen, and he continued living on the banks of the Vamsadara River.One day Naratha met him and told him he could bringblessings upon himself by doing penance.
The king went where Vamsadara River joined the sea, and prayed to the Lord for darshan.On the way he saw a sacred spot and created a tank known as the Ksheera Samudram.Mahalakshmi came and resided here.The spot is called Srikurmam or Kurmagundam.
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