ABOUT THE TEMPLES OF KARNATAKA
Karnataka has innumerable sites in the Temple Map of India, with its some of its still surviving monuments going back to the 7th century CE. The Badami Chalukyas were the builders of rock cut caves and ancient temple complexes. At Pattadakal, there are Temples in the Dravidian style along with Temples in styles that were later adopted in Eastern and Central India. The sculptural quality in these temples is outstanding. The subordinate rulers of the Chalukyas were the Gangas and the Kadambas. The colossal monolithic statue of Gomateswara was built by the Gangas in the 10th century CE. The Badami Chalukyas were succeeded by the Rashtrakutas and the Kalyani Chalukyas. In Southern Karnataka, the Hoysalas reigned supreme. The Hoysalas (12th century CE) were great builders and they built great temples at Halebidu, Belur and Somanathapura. The Hoysalas built temples on raised complex star shaped platforms. This star shaped plan is carried all the way from the platform to the shikhara. Horizontal bands of sculptural motifs and monolithic pillars adorn these temples. There is a profusion of sculptural work in the Hoysala style of temple building. Also in Southern Karnataka, are temples which benefited from the patronage of the Chola rulers of Tamilnadu. A notable example is the Kolaramma temple at Kolar. Next, the Vijayanagar Empire founded in the 14th century CE marks the period of great Temple building activity in Karnataka and these temples are characterized by the building of pillared mandapas and lofty entrance towers. Vijayanagar temples have several of the features exhibited by the temples of Tamilnadu, such as a covered pradakshinapatha (circumambulatory path) around the sanctum, and a mahamandapam in front. The ornate pillars are a distinctive mark of the Vijayanagar style. Several of the monuments in the capital Vijayanagar - now in ruins at Hampi are attributed to Harihara II, Sadasiva and Krishna Deva Raya. The Vijayanagar Empire was destroyed by the Deccan Sultanates in the 16th century and the ruins can be seen at Hampi. The Mysore Maharajas (Wodeyars) who ruled from around 1400 CE through the British period, with the brief lapse during Tipu Sultans rule, have also made contributions to temples in this State, the Chamundeswari temple near Mysore being a point in illustration. The temples of the southern coastal/ghat region of Karnataka (such as Kollur) are markedly different in architectural styles and they resemble the Keralite temples to a larger extent |
HALEBIDU
Halebidu the ancient Hoysala capital houses the ornate Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples, and is one of the well visited tourist attractions of Karnataka. Halebidu is located at a distance of 149 km from Mysore and 31 km from Hassan. The Karnataka State Tourism Bureau offers a rather hectic tour package (from Mysore) covering Sravanabelagola, Halebidu and Belur in one day.
The Hoysaleswara temple dates back to the 12th century CE. It was built by Ketamalla a minister of Vishnuvardhana the Hoysala ruler who also built the Belur temple and the Mahabaleshwar temple at Chamundi Hills near Mysore. Halebidu was sacked by the armies of Malik Kafur in early fourteenth century, after which it fell into a state of disrepair and neglect.
The Hoysaleswara temple enshrines Hoysaleswara and Santaleswara. Hoysaleswara is named after the builder Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and Santaleswara after his wife, Queen Santala. The sancta are built on a stellar plan, with a sukhanasi, navaranga and Nandi Mandapa. Each of these (temples) resembles the Belur Chennakesava temple in plan.
The Hoysaleswara temple is a masterpiece, studded with a profusion of carvings. Thousands of figures appear on its walls. The basement of the temple has the most richly sculptured friezes. Horsemen charge, war elephants charge, all in stone. Scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata add to the grandeur.
Art historian James
Fergusson writes of Halebidu thus The Hoysaleswara temple may be probably considered as one of the most marvellous exhibitions of human labor to be found even the patient east. The mode in which the eastern face is broken up by the larger masses, so as to give height and play of light and shade, is a better way of accomplishing what the Gothc artists attempted by their projections. This however is surpassed by the western front, where the variety of outline and arrangement and subordination of the various facets in which it is disposed, must be considered as a masterpiece of design in its class.
If the friezes were to be spread olong a plain surface, it would lose more than half its effect, while the vertical angles, without interfering with the continuity of the frieze give height and strength to the whole composition. The disposition of the horizontal lines of the lower friezes is equally effective. Here again, the artistic combination of horizongal and vertical lines and the play of outline and of light and shate far surpass anything in gothic art.
There are pierced windows on the walls, about a meter high each, with divinities set on pedestals with canopies above. The south door is beautifully sculptured.
The Kedareswara temple built by King Ballala II, at Halebidu now in ruins is considered to be a a gem of architecture. As with the Hoysaleswara temple, this temple has classic friezes, and scenes from the epics. There are a hundred and eighty images set under floral toranas in the upper parts of the walls. Also nearby, are Jain temples dedicated to Parsvanatha, Santhanatha and Adinatha.
GOMATESWARA - SRAVANABELAGOLA
The temple to Gomateswara is built on top of a hill, in between two hills - at a height of 3000 feet above sea level. A flight of 500 steps provides access to this temple. Views of the neighborhood from the top of the hill are spectacular.
The neighboring area abounds in Jaina bastis and several images of the Jaina Theerthankaras. Festivals: The Mahamastakabhishekam festival is held once in 12 years, when the image of Gomateswara is bathed in milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins.
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CHENNAKESAVA TEMPLE AT BELUR
Introduction
The large temple in Belur is one of the most remarkable monuments from Hoysala times and region. It was commissioned by the Hoysala king himself to celebrate an important military victory in 1117 AD. This is exceptional, since nearly all other Hoysala temples were commissioned by rich officials or rich civilians. The king obviously wanted an extraordinary temple because it has been built in an architectural style foreign to the region. Moreover the monument is exceptionally large and its decoration very lavish. Many of the decorations were added later in the 12th century by the grandson and successor of the founder.
The Cennakesava-temple stands in a compound with several smaller temples and a pond.
The monument consists of a shrine, an open hall and a platform. The shrine (vimana, mulaprasada) is larger than usual, its pedestal measures about 10 by 10 meters while a more usual size is 5 by 5 meters. Its architectural style is Nãgara (North Indian) but this is rather difficult to see because its tower is lost. The hall (mandapa) is of the open type, originally it only had a parapet. Later on the space between parapet and roof has been closed-off with magnificent screens, together with the further embellishment of the temple. The platform (jagati) is an essential part of the over-all design of the monument. It forms a unity with the rest of the elevation because it carefully follows the outlines of the shrine and the hall. Its three flights of steps add dignity to the entrances of the hall and it provides a walkway around the shrine (pradakshinapatha). Circumambulation of the shrine is an important form of worship.
The design of the shrine was exceptional for the times and the region. It is Nãgara with a stellate plan. Both these aspects deserve separate notice.
Stellate plans were new for southern Karnataka in 1117 AD but not uncommon in the north of Karnataka and in northern India. The kind of star found here differs from the northern examples because it is a 16-pointed interrupted star. Basically, the plan is a square. Including the projections that form the corners, each side of this square has five projections (bhadras, rathas). Of these, the intermediate projections are rotated through 22.5 degrees. The difference with a full star is the central projections that are not rotated but just orthogonal instead . In northern India, the most common form of stellate plan is also interrupted but 32-pointed. In that case the rotation of the projections is in steps of 11.25 degrees.
The Nãgara design of the shrine was also new to the region. The most striking element of this design is missing today because the tower of the shrine is gone. It had a curvilinear outline and consisted of a central vertical band and four columns of miniature Nãgara Ñikharas per side. This kind of tower is called Bumija and is also found on some of the miniature shrines flanking the entrances of this temple. The Nãgara design of the large shrine is still visible in the articulation of its walls: each projection is articulated as a pillar. This gives the walls a very different character compared to shrines with a Dravida (South Indian) design, the design common to all regions of southern India including southern Karnataka.
Also new is the decoration of the walls of the shrine with a row of large images. In earlier temples in southern India the walls were provided with niches, and only inside the niches there are large images of gods. The wall-images of the Cennakesava-temple are one of the large sculptural attractions of the monument. Their number is about 80, each projection and each recess of the shrine has one. It is on the southern side that the most striking depictions are found, among them Shiva dancing on a demon (Andhakasura), a horribly emaciated dancing Kali, a seated Ganesha, a pair consisting of a boy with umbrella and a king (Vamana avatara of Vishnu), Ravana shaking mount Kailasa (Ravana Anugraha murti), Durga slaying the buffalo demon (Mahisasuramardini), a straight-standing Brahma, a boar saving the goddess earth (Varaha avatara of Vishnu). The most impressive and most venerated wall-images are on the two faces of the south-western corner of the shrine: Vishnu slaying king Hiranayakasipu (Narasimha avatara) and Shiva slaying the elephant demon . On the western and northern sides the images are less impressive and show less variation. Here two times a naked Shiva (Bhairava), Surya, another Varaha and another Andhakasura are the most remarkable.
In ornate Hoysala temples depiction of numerous gods and attendants in a horizontal row of large images is usual, here in Belur this is found for the first time. Though the temple is dedicated to Vishnu, all gods of the Hindu pantheon are represented. The sculptural style of the wall-images is not yet the typical Hoysala style of later times. Comparison with other regions show that it is close to the style of similar wall-images of contemporary temples in the extreme north of Karnataka and in adjacent Maharashtra.
Also the hall of the temple is very large and very ornate. Originally it was an open hall without full walls, it had a parapet-wall and a roof only resting on pillars. Its plan is not a square but a stepped diamond, which is usual in this kind of open halls. The parapet-wall is very high in this case, more than two meters, and is topped with a slanting seat-back. This seat-back is decorated with panels showing mythological scenes. Below it are numerous horizontal bands with lavish sculptural decorations and depictions, some of them extremely delicate.
Above the seat-back elaborate screens are found, added later in the 12th century and making the interior of the hall dark and mysterious. Additions from the same times are the world-famous bracket-figures (mandanakai) found at the top of the pillars between the screens. These sculptures, about 40 in number, are so delicate that it seems nearly impossible that they are made of stone. Evidently the sculptors of these miniatures also considered them as a tour de force and sometimes provided them with boasting texts. Many of this bracket-figures are signed by their artist.
The hall has three majestic entrances, each with two flights of steps, one up to the platform and one up to the floor level of the hall. These flights of steps are flanked by miniature shrines. The doorways are elaborate and especially their lintels are masterpieces of delicate sculpture. They show avataras of Vishnu in the centre of an arch of foliage (torana). The arches spring from the mouths of two water monsters (makaras).
Originally the interior received much daylight, but the added screens make it dark and mysterious. The top of the thick parapet-wall is a seat. Due to the size of the building the parapet is very high here, and therefore small steps are provided for reaching the wide top. Hundreds of people could sit here and watch dancing performances in the hall.
The many pillars of the hall again show that the Hoysala king wanted to build a temple surpassing all others. The variety among them is extremely large and one of them is even decorated with life-size figure sculpture. The four central pillars are the most heavy ones. They are very large specimens of ornate lathe-turned bell pillars, and their production also was a great technical achievement. They support a domed ceiling that is one of the most elaborately decorated ceilings in all India.
As usual the sanctum consists of a square vestibule (antarala) and a square holy cella (garbhagiha). The entrances of both are flanked by life-size sculptures of door guardians (dvarapalas). They bear a mace (gada) and for the rest attributes characteristic for Vishnu. In the cella stands a cult-image of Vishnu, an extremely large one bearing clockwise a wheel (cakra), a mace (gada), a lotus (padma) and a conch (shankha). Indeed this is the order of attributes corresponding with the form of the god called Kesava. "Cenna" means good, respectful in Kannada, the language of Karnataka.
In this case, happily, there are several inscriptions telling about the erection and the consecration of the temple. This happened in 1117 AD by king Vishnuvardhana. The style of the temple is a new kind of Nãgara derived from the contemporary temples found in the region around the imperial city of Kalyana, located in the extreme north of present-day Karnataka. The Calukya of Kalyana were the overlords of the Hoysala kings. Undoubtedly, by commissioning a temple in the style of his overlords, Vishnuvardhana wanted to demonstrate claims of power and independence.
NANDI HILLS
Nandi hills are a resort at a distance of about 60km north of Bangalore. Here, are wo ancient temples, the Bhoganandeeswara temple at the foothills and the Yoganandeeswara hill temple.
The ancient rulers of this region - the Banas built the Bhoganandeeswara temple in the 9th century. The Chola rulers of Tamilnadu built the hill temple.
The Bhoganandeeswara temple in the foothills shows an assimilation of architectural styles of several dyanasties that ruled the area. The Banas, the Cholas, the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagar rulers made contributions to this temple.
The original shrine is attributed to the Bana queen Ratnavali. Later on, the Arunachaleswara shrine was added to the temple complex. The Cholas of the eleventh century added Nandi mandapas to the temple. The Hoysalas who came in later built an ornate Kalyana mandapam. The Vijayanagar rulers added shrines to Uma Maheswara , Girijaamba and Apita Kuchaambal (see Tiruvannamalai). Local chieftans added two more prakarams to the existing temples. Thus the temple now consists of three prakarams and a tank.
The Yoganandeeswara hill temple is attributed to the Cholas of Tamilnadu. The Vijayanagar rulers added a shrine to Ambal and connected the two shrines with a corridor. The temple's carvings on pillars and doorways are noteworthy.
HALEBIDU
Somnathapura near Mysore houses the Kesava temple - the last great temple built by the Hoysala dynasty.
The village of Somanathapura is named after a minister by name Soma in the court of the Hoysala king Narasimha III (13th century CE), who founded it.
The Kesava temple is a fantastic piece of art. It consists of three identical shrines built on a raised platform - with a common entrance chamber in an enclosed courtyard.
The main shrine is dedicated to Kesava; however there is no image of worship now. The other shrines are dedicated to Janardhana and Venugopala.
These shrines are only about 30 feet in height. Yet they are covered profusely with ornate sculpture of the highest order, as seen in the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu, with themes from the Indian epics, nature and so on.
An open corridor runs around the circumambulatory path and it has sixty four cells, meant for housing images of divinities (as in the kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram). These cells are now bereft of images.
CHAMUNDESWARI HILL TEMPLE – MYSORE
Chamundi Hill is one of the landmark tourist attractions of Mysore, and it never fails to fall on the itenerary of those visiting Mysore. Other historic temples in the vicinity of Mysore are Srirangapatna, Talakkad and Somnathpur.
The Chamundeeswari temple is located on a hill in the vicinity of Mysore and is accessed through a motorable road. Chamundeeswari the tutelary deity of the Mysore Maharajas has been held in reverence for centuries, and the Wodeyars of Mysore have made extensive contributions to this shrine.
A flight of one thousand steps built by the Maharaja Dodda Devaraja in 1659 also leads up to the summit of the hill which is at a height of about 3000 feet. Chamraja Wodeyar IV is said to have worshipped here in 1573 and was miraculously saved from a lightning hit. Krishnaraja III (late 18th century) built the temple tower and presented the Nakshatramalika jewel with sanskrit verses inscribed on it.
Thus much of the current temple is the result of renovation efforts carried out in early nineteenth century, although the original shrine is much older. Chamundi Hill has been associated with the Hoysala ruler Vishnu Vardhana (12th century) and with the Vijayanagar rulers of the 17th century.
Chamundeeswari, or Durga is the fierce form of Shakti who vanquished the demon Mahishasuran. A colorful image of the demon greets visitors as they reach the summit of the hill.
Also on this temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva). The best known of these is the collossal Nandi on the 800th step on the hill. This Nandi is over 15 feet high, and 24 feet long. It was created during the reign of Dodda Devaraja, who also built the steps leading up the hill.
There are also shrines dedicated to Shiva - Mahabaleshwar (attributed to Vishnu Vardhana the Hoysala ruler of the 12th century CE) and Lakshmi Narayana - Vishnu on this hill. SRIRANGAPATNA - MYSORE Srirangapatna, is a definite tourist spot on the agenda of tourists visiting Mysore. Other historic temple sites in and around Mysore include Chamundi Hills, Somnathpura and Talakkad. This island in the river Kaveri, is referred to as Goutama Kshetram and is located in the vicinity of Mysore. Srirangapatna enshrines Vishnu as Ranganatha in the Ranganathaswamy temple, which is said to date back to the period of the Ganga ruler Tirumalaiya of the 9th century CE. Srirangapatna was the historic capital of Tippu Sultan known for his struggle against British rule. Several monuments relating to his rule are sprinkled across the island. Both Tippu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali are believed to have made endowments to the Ranganathaswamy temple. Srirangapatna is one of the Pancharanga Kshetras in the course of the river Kaveri. The other four are Srirangam near Tiruchirappalli, Tiruvindalur near Mayiladuturai, Kumbhakonam and Koyiladi near Tiruchirappalli all in Tamilnadu, along the Kaveri as the river meanders in an easterly direction. Srirangapatna is also known as Aadi Rangam, Srirangam as Antha Rangam and Sivasamudram in Karnataka as Madhyarangam. This vast temple has an impressive gopuram and fort like walls and it exhibits a mixture of the Hoysala and Vijayanagar architectural styles. Ranganatha is portrayed as reclining on the bed of Aadi Sesha. Also enshrined are images of Gowtama muni and the river Kaveri. Ranganayaki Thaayaar is enshrined in the north west corner of the temple. There is also a shrine to Krishna here. The Alwars and the Acharyas of the Sri Vaishnava tradition are also enshrined here. Also seen here are images of Srinivasa and Panchamukha Anjaneya, said to have been installed by Vyasaraya. The Chaturvimsati pillars in front of the inner entrance bear carvings of 24 forms of Vishnu. MELKOTE Melkote located near Mysore in Karnataka houses an ancient shrine to Vishnu, worshipped as TiruNarayana. This shrine is known for its long standing association with the spiritual leader Ramanujacharya. Melkote is also known as Yadavagiri, yatistalam, Vedadri and Narayanadri. The presiding deity here (moolavar) is known by the name Tiru Narayana, while the processional image of Vishnu goes by the name Selva Pillai or Sampath Kumara. Vishnu's consort is known by the name Yadugiri Taayaar. The image of Selvappillai is housed in the Rangamandapa. There are shrines to Yadugiri Taayaar and Kalyani Nachiyaar. The temple tank is known by the name Kalyani theertham. Legend has it this image of Vishnu was held in worship by Bhrahma. It is believed that the festival image Sampatkumara was worshipped by Rama and his son Kusha; hence the name Ramapriya. Legend has it that Krishna installed this image here at Melkote. Melkote has two distinct temples. The Tirunarayana temple at the foothills and the hill temple to Yoga Narasimha. Legend has it that the Yoga Narasimha temple image was installed here by Prahlada. King Bittideva of Karnataka who embraced the Sri Vaishnava way of life and patronized the saint Ramanujacharya, assumed the name of Vishnuvardhana and built five shrines known as the Panchanarayana temples. It is believed that at that time the Narayanapura shrine was in ruins and that both the images of Tirunarayana and Sampathkumara were missing and that Ramanujacharya discovered the image of Tirunarayana in the midst of Tulasi shrubs on the Yadavagiri hill and installed it back in the temple. Legend has it that during the Muslim raids of South India, the festival image of Melkote was stolen and taken away and that Ramanujacharya restored it from the court of the ruler. It is said that it a muslim princess had gotten attached to the image of Selvappillai and that being unable to part with it, she followed the Acharya to Melkote and then merged into the shrine there. In honor of this, there is an image of Bibi Nachiyar here. This temple is known for its Vairamudi Sevai in the month of March-April, when the image of Selvappillai is adorned with a diamond crown and taken out in procession. It is traditional belief that this crown is not to be looked at when it is not worn by the festival image; hence each year, during the occasion, the officiating priest picks up the crown from its chest with his eyes blindfolded and then places it upon the head of the image of Selvappillai. Thousands congregate to celebrate this occasion each year. Such was the hospitality of the residents of Melkote that they were reluctant to let Ramanuja leave for Srirangam. Hence, Ramanujacharya made an image of himself and left it behind. It is to be noted that Ramanuja's body in its preserved state is maintained at Srirangam and that there is another image of Ramanuja at Sriperumpudoor near Chennai. BADAMI Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal Badami or Vatapi was the center of ancient Chalukyan glory. It was home to several rock-cut temples and structural temples. Historically, Vatapi suffered defeat at the hands of the Pallava king Narasimhavarma Pallavan (Mamalla after whom Mamallapuram is named) and his general Sirutonda Naayanaar in the year 642 CE. Twelve years later, the Chalukyas recaptured Vatapi and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram the capital of Pallavas. Legend has it there were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala, who had a trick by which they could kill and make a meal of mendicants passing by. Their tricks worked until Agastya muni came by and counter-tricked them and brought an end to Vatapi's life. Two of the hills in Badami are supposed to represent the demons Ilvalan and Vatapi. There are several temples dating from the Chalukyan period in Badami. The first set of temples is a group of four on a hill adjacent to the Bhutanata tank, connected through flights of stairs. The first temple dating back to the 5th century CE has gigantic carvings of Ardhanareeswara and Harira manifestations of Shiva in bas relief. It enshrines a Shivalingam. In the adjacent wall there is a carving of the cosmic dance of Shiva Nataraja depicted with eighteen arms. There are also reliefs of Ganapati, Shanmukha and Mahishasuramardhini. The second temple bears images of Vishnu in his Varaha and Trivikrama incarnations. It is reached through a flight of 64 stairs from the first one. On its celing, are carvings of Vishnu on Garuda and several other scenes from the puranas. The third rock cut temple is reached from the 2nd temple through a flight of 60 steps. It is a 100 feet dep cave, with inscriptions dating this Vishnu temple to 578 CE during, the period of Kiritivarma Chalukya. Here there are carved images of the Narasimha and Trivikrama avataras of Vishnu. There are also murals depicting the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati. Further up, is a Jain rock cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha with inscriptions dating back to the 12th century. Of the structural temples in Badami, the Dattatreya temple and the Mallikarjuna are noteworthy. The Mallikarjuna temple dating back to the 11th century is built on a star shaped plan. There are also temples with the Dravidian style of vimanas. Badami is noted for two early inscriptions dating events in history in the 6th century. The earlier one in sanskrit dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakesi I (Vallabheswara), on a hillock. Near the Bhutanata temple, on a rock, there is an inscription testifying Mamalla Pallava's victory over the Chalukyas in the year 642 CE. AIHOLE Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal Aihole was the first capital of the early Chalukyas. Aihole is to the west of Badami, along the Malaprabha river, while Pattadakal is to the east. Pulakesi I, one of the greatest rulers of this dynasty, moved the capital to Badami nearby. Badami was then known as Vatapi. The first phase of temple building in Aihole dates back to the 6th century CE, the second phase to the 12th century. The Ravanaphadi temple is a rock cut temple, with a rectangular shrine, with two mandapams in front of it and a rock cut Shivalingam. This temple dates back to the second half of the 7th century. The prominent temple groups here are the Kontigudi group and the Galaganatha group. A group of three temples is referred to as the Kontigudi group of temples. One of these is the Lad Khan temple, named after a mendicant that lived in this temple in the 19th century , another the Huchiappayyagudi temple and the Huchiappayya math. The Lad Khan temple consists of a shrine with two mandapams in front of it. The shrine bears a Shiva lingam. The mukha mandapa in front of the sanctum has a set of 12 carved pillars. The sabhamandapa in front of the mukha mandapam has pillars arranged in such a manner as to form two concentric squares. There are also stone grids on the wall carrying floral designs. The Huchappayyagudi temple has a curvilinear tower (shikhara) over the sanctum (unlike the Lad Khan temple). The interior of the temple has beautiful carvings. The Galaganatha group is one of nearly 30 temples on the bank of the river Malaprabha. The main shrine of the Galaganatha temple enshrining Shiva - Galaganatha has a curvilinear shikhara, and has images of Ganga and Yamuna at the entrance to ths shrine. The Huchimalligudi temple at Aihole, built in the 8th century shows an evolution in the temple plan, as it shows an ardhamandapam or an ante-chamber annexed to the main shrine. The best known of the Aihole temples is the photogenic Durga or the fortress temple. It is apsidal in plan, along the lines of a Buddhist chaitya, a high moulded adisthana and a tower - curvilinear shikhara. A pillared corridor runs around the temple, enveloping the shrine, the mukhamandapa and the sabhamandapa. All through the temple, there are beautiful carvings. The Meguti Jain temple stands on a hillock. The temple sits on a raised platform, and a flight of steps leads one to the mukhamandapa. The pillared mukhamandapa is a large one. A flight of stairs leads to another shrine on the roof, directly above the main shrine. From the roof, one can have a panoramic view of the plain with a hundred temples or so. From a historic standpoint, the Meguti temple has an inscription on its foundation stating that it was built in the year 634 CE. This inscription also contains a reference to the poet Kalidasa. PATTADAKAL Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal Pattadakal is an art historians dream. It has a set of nine temples built almost in a single file, showing the architects' desire for experimenting in various styles. Pattadakal represents the culmination of early Chalykyan art. Four of the temples here are in the south Indian Dravidian architectural style while four are in the north Indian Nagara style while Papanatha temple exhibits a hybrid style. The Virupaksha temple, probably the most beautiful of all temples here is in the south Indian style and is almost a replica of the Kailasanatha temple of Kanchi. While the Kailasanatha temple of Kanchi served as a model for this temple (given the interaction between the Chalukyas and the Pallavas), this temple served as the model for the Ellora Kailasanatha temple built by the Rashtrakootas. The Virupaksha temple was built by Lokeswari one of the queens of Vikramaditya II in honor of his victorious battle against the Pallavas of Kanchi in the year 735 CE. The Mallikarjuna temple was built by her sister, also a Chalukyan queen. The Virupaksha temple faces east towards the Malaprabha river. It has carvings depicting scenes from the puranas in each of the 18 pillars in the mukhamandapam. There are also carvings of Ravananugrahamurthy, Narasimha, Gajendramoksham, the dance of Shiva. The square vimana of this temple is in three levels. There is also an image of Lakulisa, showing the prevalence of the Pasupata sect of the Saiva religion in the Chalukyan land. Nearby is the Mallikarjuna temple, very similar to the Virupaksha temple but on a much smaller scale. The Galaganatha temple is built in the north Indian idiom and so is the Kasi Visweswara. Other temples here include those to Chandrasekhara, Sangameswara, Jambulinga, Kadasiddheswara. The Papanatha temple has a Nagara styleed Vimanam. It is decorated with scenes from the Ramayana. There is also a Jain temple from the period of the Rashtrakootas (9th century) here at Pattadakal. MAHAKOOTA Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal 16 km away from Badami is the archaeological site of Mahakoota where there are several temples from the Early Chalukyan period. Legend has it that the sage Agastya lived at Mahakoota, on the banks of a tank by name Vishnu Pushkarini. It is believed that Agastya worshipped Vatapi Ganapati here; and that during the expedition of Narasimhavarma Pallavan, this image was taken to Tiruchenkattankudi in Tamilnadu. The Mahakooteswara temple here, is probably the oldest of the early Chalukyan temples. It is a Dravidian styled temple. There are several other temples in the vicinity, and all of these collectively are enclosed by heavy walls. Another of the early Chalukyan sites is Banashankari, bearing an ancient shrine to Parvati, now no longer under worship. A newer 17th century temple enshrines Parvati to whom worship is offered. KALYANI CHALUKYAN TEMPLES The Badami Chalukyas were exponents of early architectural achievements in Deccan. Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal The Gadag art style marked by ornate columns originated during the period of the Kalyani Chalukya king Someswara I, and it flourished for a period of 150 years (1050 to 1200 CE) during which about 50 temples were built. The Trikuteshwara Shiva temple at Gadag at a distance of 75 km from Dharwar boasts of ornate pillars with intricate sculpture. The sanctum enshrines three Shivalingams. The temple has beautifully chiseled stone screens and carved figurines. There is a shrine to Saraswati within the Trikuteshwara temple complex, with exquite stone columns. Other temples in Gadag are those dedicated to Someshwara and Veera Narayana. Lakkundi located at a distance of 13 km from Gadag has several temples in the Kalyani Chalukyan idiom. The Kasi Visweswara temple has shrines to Shiva and Surya. It is an exquisitely decorated temple with chiseled stone screens and intricate carvings. Surya is portrated as Suryanarayana on a throne, with the seven horses of the sun God engraved on it. There is also a Jain temple dedicated to Mahavira at Lakkundi. Dambala is located at a distance of 20 km south east of Gadag, past Lakkundi. The Doddabasappa temple here dedicated to Shiva is beautifully concieved and built on a polygonal stellar shape. It is full of intricately carved pillars. The door steps of this temple are beautifully decorated. There is also a Taradevi temple in the Buddhist idiom at Dambala. Annigeri is located 20 km west of Gadag enroute to Hubli. It houses a Kalyani Chalukyan temple to Amriteswara - Shiva. This temple is built of black stone. Seventy six columns support the temple filled with sculpture. Many other temples are also seen at Annigeri. Itgi in Raichur district, to the east of Dharwar district is home to the Mahadeva temple dating back to the Kalyani Chalukyan king Vikramaditya (1076 - 1127 CE). It is considered to be the best specimen of Kalyani Chalukyan art. As with temples built in this idiom it has as many as 68 decorated pillars, an ornate tower and a doorway of great workmanship. Kuknur, located at a distance of 7 km from Itgi (above) and 40 km from Hospet (the nearest railhead for Hampi), bears temples from the Chalukyan and the earlier Rashtrakoota periods. The Mallikarjuna and the Kalleswara temples here are from the Chalukyan period while the Navalinga temples with nine sancta each enshrining a Shivalingam is from the Rashtrakoota period. There is also a temple to Mahamaya - a tantric goddess at Kuknur. Lakshmeswar is located south east of Hubli and is home to the Someshwara temple which is dated back to the 11th - 12th centuries. Bankapura is located at a distance of 60km from Hubli. The town dates back to the period of the Rashtrakootas. (Amoghavarsha I - mid ninth century CE). The Siddheshwara and Ranganatha Nagareshwara are the temples of interest here, the latter has intricately carved ceilings and a set of 60 carved gray stone pillars. Hirekerur is located at the southern end of the Dharwar area near Shimoga. It has Kalayani Chalukya temples dedicated to Janardana, Durga and Totada Veeranna. VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE AT HAMPI Much of Vijayanagar is now in ruins, as when the rulers were defeated at the hands of the invaders at the battle of Talikota in the 16th century, most of the marvelous structures and edifices were systematically destroyed. The Virupaksha or the Pampapathi temple is the main center of pilgrimage at Hampi. It is fully intact, and it incorporates some earlier structures. This temple has three towers, the eastern tower rises to a height of 160 feet and is nine tiered. It dates back to the first half of the fifteenth century and was renovated in the sixteenth century by Krishnadevaraya. This tower has been built such that an inverted shadow of this huge tower falls on the western wall of the temple through a small hole behind the sanctum. The northern gopuram has five storeys, and the inner eastern gopuram is endowed with three storeys. The presiding deity here is Virupaksheshwara or Pampapathi. His consort Pampa, is believed to be the daughter of Bhrama. There is an ornate shrine to Bhuvaneswari. There is a shrine to Vidyaranya, the spiritual founder of Vijayanagar in this temple. The inner prakaram consists of shrines and pillars dating back to the 12th century. Krishnadevaraya also built a mandapam in front of the sanctum, and embellished it with Vijayanagar style bas reliefs and murals. Several of Shiva's manifestations, and the ten incarnations of Vishnu are portrayed here, as is the classic scene from Mahabharata depicting Arjuna's shooting the fish device in order to secure Draupadi's hand in marriage. There is also a mural depicting Vidyaranya the spiritual founder of Vijayanagar in procession. In the vicinity of the Virupaksha temple are several dilapidated mandapams. In front of the temple was once an ancient shopping center lined with mandapams, the ruins of which stand today. Festivals: The chariot festival in the month of February is the chief annual festival celebrated here. The divine marriage between Virupaksheshwara and Pampa is celebrated in the month of December. VITTHALA TEMPLE AT HAMPI The most splendid of temples at Vijayanagar is the Vitthala temple, near the Tungabhadra river. It is considered to be the most ornate of the Vijayanagar temples. Hampi, now in ruins is the site of the ancient city of Vijayanagar, capital of the Vijayanagar empire (founded under the spiritual guidance of Vidyaranya of Sringeri in early 14th century) ) which brought about a renaissance of indigenous art and culture, as it defended the region against the plundering armies from elsewhere. Much of Vijayanagar is now in ruins, as when the rulers were defeated at the hands of the invaders at the battle of Talikota in the 16th century, most of the marvelous structures and edifices were systematically destroyed. Vitthala - Vishnu is enshrined in this temple. The mahamandapam of this temple, in front of the sanctum - enclosed in the inner courtyard is of great beauty. It's base is chiseled with friezes of the swan, the horse and the warrior. At intervals, there are projections with bas reliefs portraying the deification of the ten avataras of Vishnu. The steps on the east of the mahamandapam are flanked by an elephant balustrade. The facades are lined with forty pillars, each over 10 feet in height. Each group of pillars has a central pillar with slender shafts around. The center of the Mahamandapam has sixteen pillars decorated with Narasimha and Yali, forming a rectangular court. The ceiling of the Mahamandapam is also covered with sculptural work. The stone chariot in this temple is of great fame. Its stone wheels, each shaped in the form of a lotus, are capable of revolving. It represents the sprakling creativity of the artistes of the fifteenth century. Temple chariots are often mobile reproductions of a temple. The stone chariot here is in turn a static version of the mobile temple chariot. SEVEN PILGRIMAGE CENTERS (MUKTI STALAS) The seven muktistalas of Karnataka are Udupi, Kollur, Subrahmanya, Kumbasi, Kodeshwara, Sankaranarayana and Gokarna. All of these shrines are also known as Parasurama Kshetras, created on the land reclaimed from the sea by Parasurama. Kollur is held in reverence by pilgrims from Karnataka and Kerala alike. All of these shrines are cradled in the picturesque Western Ghats in the coastal region of Karnataka, and are well connected with Mangalore, the nearest airport. Kollur enshrines the celebrated Mookambika temple, and is known for its close association with the celebrated spiritual leader Aadi Sankaracharya. Udupi enshrines an enchanting image of Bala Krishna (Gopala), and is the seat of Madhvacharya - the founder of the Dvaita school of philosophy. Gokarna: is one of the celebrated Shiva temples in Karnataka, enshrining the Atma Lingam. Gokarna has been revered by the tamil hymns of the Nayanmar saints of the 1st millennium CE. Subrahmanya: This ancient pilgrimage enshrining Subrahmanya on the Kumara Parvata is located at a distance of 103 km from Mangalore, and 97 km from Hassan. Kumbasi: This ancient pilgrimage center enshrines Ganesha in a standing posture. The temple tank has a small shrine in the center, one side of which is the Surya Pushkarini and the other is Chandra Pushkarini. Images of Hari, Hara and the Kamandala of Gowtama Muni are enshrined here. Legend has it that Gowtama Rishi who was engaged in meditation here, harrassed by a demon by name Kumbha. The Pandavas who were engaged in a pilgrimage of this area, are believed to have rescued him. Bhima is believed to have slain the demon with a sword provided by Ganesha. Five temples related to the pilgrimage of the Pandavas, are found in the neighboring coastal state of Kerala. Kodeshwara: This pilgrimage center enshrines Kotilingeshwara, in a shallow Peetham. This temple also has shrines to Ganesha, Ardhanareeswara and Parvati. Legend has it that Shiva was worshipped here as Kotilingeshwara by Bhrama. The annual festival is celebrated in the month of Vrischika (Scorpio), during the full moon. The full moon in the month of Vrischika is the commemoration of Shiva's appearance as a huge cosmic column of light in front of Bhrama and Vishnu who worshipped him (as in Tiruvannamalai). Kodeshwara is located at a distance of 5 km from Kumbasi. The theertham here is Koti Theertham. Sankaranarayana: Two Lingams are enshrined in the sanctum of the Sankaranarayana temple here, which also has shrines to Subramnaya, Panchamukha Anjaneya and Venugopala. Sankaranarayana is located on the banks of the Varahi river.A perennial spring oozes out of the sanctum. Legend has it that a sage by name Kroda performed penances to have a darshan of Hari and Hara in the form of the Harihara swaroopam Sankaranarayana. Sankaranarayana is located at a distance of 25 km from Kodeshwara. The sacred theerthams here are the Koti theertham, the Agni Theertham and the Bhargava Theertham. VIDYASHANKARA TEMPLE - SRINGERI Sringeri is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage centers in Karnataka, and is home to the Sarada Peetham established by the revered spiritual leader Aadi Sankaracharya. Sringeri is located amidst the Sahyadri hills in Chikmaglur district of Karnataka on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra. The nearest railhead is Birur on the Bangalore - Pune railroad. The nearest airport is at Mangalore (150 km). Bangalore is at a distance of 336 km from Sringeri. Near Sringeri, are the Sringagiri hills, said to be the birth place of Sage Rishyasringa. Aadi Sankaracharya established the Sarada Peetham here in the 1st millennium CE, and installed an image of Sarada with a Sri Chakra in front of her, and started the Bharati Sampradaya to propagate the philosophy of non dualism. Sankara's disciple Sureshwaracharya was the first head of the Sringeri Peetham. Vidyashankara of Vidyathirtha, who was the head of this Peetham for a period of 105 years from 1228 CE to 1333 CE is considered to be one of the greatest Gurus of this Peetham. Vidyaranya who headed the peetham from 1331 CE to 1386 CE was another extraordinary leader, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire, which not only offered stiff resistance to the onslaught of destruction from the invading foreign armies, but also caused the flowering of literary works and great monuments throughout South India andthe preservation of the ancient temple traditions. The Vidyashankara temple at Sringeri was built in memory of Guru Vidyashankara or Vidyathirtha by Vidyaranya, with the aid of the Vijayanagar rulers in the 14th century. The golden image of Sarada was also installed then at the Sarada temple. The temple also houses ruby images of Venugopala and Srinivasa and a Nandi made out of a large pearl. Several inscriptions are seen in the temple, describing contributions made by the Vijayanagar emperors. This temple combines the Hoysala and Dravida architectural features. It stands on a richly sculptured basement. There are six doorways leading into the temple. The twelve pillars in the mandapam are named the Raasi pillars, and are so arranged that the sun's rays fall on each of them, in the order of the solar months. Each column also has a large rearing lion, with non removable rolling stone balls in its mouth. A circular shikhara crowns the sanctum. This temple also features 61 images carved in bas relief, of various scenes from the puranas. Buddha is depicted as one of the incarnations of Vishnu here. From across the river, this temple looks seated like a majestic swan. (Templenet acknowledges Srinivas Merle for providing the images above). The Saradamba Temple: Sarada Devi is enshrined seated on the Sri Chakra Peetham, holding a Japa Mala, with a parrot perched on the top of her hand. The original image of sandalwood was installed by Adi Sankaracharya, and it was replaced with a golden image, in the 14th century. The processional image of Saradamba is enshrined in the sourhern prakaram. There are also shrines to Shakti Ganapati and Bhuvaneswari here. There is also a shrine to Aadi Sankara here.Each Friday witnesses the procession of Saradamba in a silver chariot around the temple. The Navaratri festival season also witnesses processions of the processional image of Saradamba. Also in this temple are shrines to Shakti Ganapati, Mahishasuramardini and Rajarajeswari. Also in Sringeri is the Janardhana temple, where carved in one of the niches of the sanctum is an image of Aadi Sankaracharya. Near this temple is the brindavanam of Sureshwaracharya. At Rishyasringapuram on the banks of the Nandini river, enshrines Sringeswara. Legend has it that the sage Rishyasringa attained salvation here. Tippu Sultan of Srirangapatna is believed to have made gifts to Sringeri for the conduct of the Sahasra Chandi Japa for the welfare of the country. NANJANGUD This temple celebrates the legend of Shiva consuming the poison that emanated when the milky ocean was churned by the devas and the asuras in their joint quest for the nectar of immortality. (See legend); hence the name Nanjundeswara. Legend has it that Parvati arrested the spread of the venom by placing a firm grip on Shiva's neck, causing it to turn blue, and hence the name Neelakanta. Legend also has it that Parasurama worshipped at this shrine. There is a shrine for Parasurama nearby. The temple: This temple has an imposing Rajagopuram and an array of sculptural work depicting mythological scenes. There is a shrine to Adi Kesava in between the Shiva and Parvati shrines. The 63 Nayanmar saints of the Tamil region are portrayed as life sized images. The temple is located by the side of the Kapila river. The Wodeyars of Mysore have made many endowments to this temple. Tipu Sultan of Mysore was a patron of this temple. It is said that the sultan believed that his elephant was cured of diseases by the grace of the presiding deity of this temple and hence he made endowments to this temple. SUBRAHMANYA This ancient pilgrimage shrine enshrining Subramanya on the Kumara Parvata is located at a distance of 103 km from Mangalore, and 97 km from Hassan. Also nearby is the famous pilgrimage center of Dharmastala. Subrahmanya is regarded as one of the Seven Muktistala pilgrimage sites in Karnataka which are Kollur, Udupi, (Subrahmanya), Kumbasi, Kodeshwara, Sankaranarayana and Gokarna. Deities: Subramanya is enshrined seated on a peacock in the sanctum of this temple. Also enshrined here are images of Vasuki and Adi Sesha. The sanctum is full of ant hills, and the sand from the ant hills believed to possess medicinal properties, is distributed as prasada here. The Garuda stambha in front of the sanctum is believed to ward off the poisonous breath of snakes here. There are also shrines to Uma Maheswara, Kukke Lingam (celebrating the legend that a basket - Kukke full of Shivalingams were discovered here) and Narasimha here. Also worshipped here is a box of saligramams, said to have been given by Sage Vyasa to Madhvacharya. Legend has it that Garuda, the mount of Vishnu was once chasing Vasuki, the king of snakes. Vasuki took refuge in Subramanya who offered protection to the snake from Garuda. There is another shrine to Aadi Subramanya where Subramanya is worshipped in an ant hill with offerings of mirrors and images of Naga. Festivals: Skanda Sashti, Vaikasi Vishakam and Narasimha Jayanti are celebrated at Subramanya. ROCK CUT TEMPLES IN KARNATAKA Temples in Karnataka are the major Tourist Attractions in Karnataka. People who are on a Tour to Karnataka must visit the temples of Karnataka. The temples of Karnataka reflect the spiritual lineage of the country in addition to the architectural expertise practiced in the country during the reign of the kings.
near Bijapur in Karnataka are centers of Early Chalukyan art. Badami is located at a distance of about 500 km from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka and is well connected by road.
near Bijapur in Karnataka are centers of Early Chalukyan art. Badami is located at a distance of about 500 km from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka and is well connected by road
near Bijapur in Karnataka are centers of Early Chalukyan art. Badami is located at a distance of about 500 km from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka and is well connected by road.
near Bijapur in Karnataka are centers of Early Chalukyan art. Badami is located at a distance of about 500 km from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka and is well connected by road.
were their centers of art. They were succeeded by the Rashtrakutas and the Kalyani Chalukyas.
Hampi, now in ruins is the site of the ancient city of Vijayanagar, capital of the Vijayanagar empire (founded under the spiritual guidance of Vidyaranya of Sringeri in early 14th century CE)) which brought about a renaissance of indigenous art and culture, as it defended the region against the plundering armies from elsewhere.
Nanjangud located near Mysore houses an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva - Nanjundeswara or Srikanteswara that is rich in legend, historical and artistic significance.
The temples of Karnataka stand beside the monuments in Karnataka in the way of attracting tourist and boasting about the historical past of the place. The temple reflects the style of architecture prevalent in certain eras.
The Karnataka Temples were built primarily by the Chalukyas, Cholas and the Hoysalas. Intricate sculpture, stone built and many other features differentiate a temple of one era from the other. The rock cut temples and the temples built in Dravidian style mainly describe the temples of Karnataka which were built during the rule of the Chalukyas in the area. The sculptural quality evident on the temples is worth appreciating. The temples at Karnataka in India built by the Hoysalas can be distinguished by feature that the temples were built on star shaped platforms. Hoysalas temples in Karnataka can be distinguished because of its monolithic pillars and sculptural motifs. The temples built by the Hoysalas portray sculptural brilliance. The Hoysalas temples are found in abundance in Belur, Halebid and Somanathapura.
The temples in Karnataka in India built during the reign of the Vijayanagar kingdom is marked by lofty entrance towers and pillared mandapas. The temples built during this era resemble the style of temples that were built in Tamil Nadu. These temples bear pradakshinapatha and mahamandapam in front. The temples of Karnataka built by the Wodeyars are architectural and are much similar to the keralite style of temples.
A corona of serenity and peace surrounds the temples in Karnataka.
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