The earliest known inscription at Simhachalam dates to 1088 CE, from the time of the Eastern Ganga king Devendravarma Rajaraja I. The present temple structure was built primarily under the Eastern Ganga dynasty (11th-13th centuries) and expanded by the Gajapati rulers of Odisha (15th-16th centuries). Inscriptions indicate that the temple received extensive patronage from the Eastern Ganga king Narasimha I (13th century) and the Gajapati king Purushottama Deva (15th century).
The main sanctum and the mukhamandapa (entrance hall) are the oldest surviving structures, dating to the Eastern Ganga period. The temple's gopuram and outer enclosures were built during the Gajapati period. The Narasimha cult was especially popular in the Kalinga region from the 12th century onward, and Simhachalam became the principal Narasimha shrine of the region.
The temple survived the various political changes in the region — from the Odishan Gajapatis to the Qutb Shahi and Nizam rulers, and later the British. The temple was further renovated in the 19th and 20th centuries with contributions from local zamindars and the public. Today, the temple is under the administration of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
