Sri Keshava Temple, Somnathpur

Karnataka is probably the only state in India where a number of exquisitely sculpted rock cut monuments of the historical period are present. Karnataka is rightly called the abode of stone architecture by historians. One temple that has stood testimony to the above claims is the

Sri Keshava Temple at Somnathpur. It has also stood the testing times of Nature and Natural Calamities for nearly 8 centuries.

The first sight of the Splendor of Hoysala Architecture.

The Lamp Tower

The main of the three Sanctuaries

Somnathpur is a small village located near the Karnataka-Kerala border. The village is situated on the banks of river Cauvery and a drive of around 140 kms south-west of Bangalore takes one to this village which is frequented by all the patrons of Architecture and sculptures.
I was surprised to see the historical facts relating to the Somnathpur temple inscribed on a stone slab at the entrance of the temple. Written in Old Kannada script (which is the local language), it informs that the King who ruled during the time the Temple was built was Narasimha III (1254-91 A.D.). The brainchild for the construction of this temple was the Commander of the Army, Sri Somnath. The Sri Keshava temple at Somnathpur is regarded for its precision in symmetry with exquisite stone carvings.

The Somnathpur temple stands in the middle of a walled compound. The star shaped temple has carved pinnacles. The star-shaped sanctum – sanctorum and low elevation today stand as testimony to the style of Hoysala architecture.

The surface of the outer walls of the Temple is covered with beautifully sculpted plaques of stone depicting various Gods and Goddesses in different postures. Most of these plaques have been inspired from Ancient Hindu scriptures. Another striking feature of the temple is that it has 16 different ceilings - each ceiling depicting various stages of a blooming plantain.

This is an Idol of Lord Krishna surrounded by attendants, playing the flute beneath a tree.
The Lord’s dress and crown are richly ornamented with highly sensitive carvings. This typical ornate and intricate style of sculptures makes the Hoysala Architecture styles one of the easiest styles to recognize in Indian art.

This is one of those exquisite carvings that i came across during my visit. On the left is the Idol of Lord Ganesh in Dancing postures. Lord Vishnu seated on the sacred serpent Sri Aadhi Shesha. Between the panels is a female drummer. Another aspect of these Temple is that the sculptures are signed (Square Panels at the foot of the idols) under each main panels by the respective sculptors who worked on that particular panel. One name that occupied almost all the signatures in the temple was that of the great sculptor of that times Mallitamba.

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha

The Meditating Vishnu

The above 2 idols were the ones that took my breath away. I was so fascinated by the beauty and delicacy of the carvings that these 2 idols need a mention. The one on the Top is that of Goddess Lakshmi seated on the Lap of Narasimha( One of the Incarnations of Lord Vishnu).

The other idol is that of Lord Vishnu in Meditation. this particular idol reminded me of
Sri Buddha who happens to be one of the Incarnations of Lord Vishnu himself.

Truly, I realised that i am really blessed by the great Gods to be Born on this Earth that has a lot on offer. It's such a beautiful World that a mere 100 years of Life is not enough even to read about the places on this earth forget about visiting.

Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangapatnam.

This is one of the important places in the History of India.
Srirangapatna, a town dedicated to Lord Sri Ranganatha is also referred to as Paschima Ranganatha Sannidhi by the locals. It was also the capital of the Rulers of Mysore, The Great Hyder Ali and His son Tippu Sultan Also referred to as ‘Tiger of Mysore’.

The main Tower in front of the Temple.

The Village is surrounded by the Waters of the River Cauvery. Sri Ranganatha swamy Temple is one of the most important pilgrimage centers for the vaishnavas. The temple is one of the largest in Karnataka, houses the Deity of Lord Vishnu resting under the Hood of the Snake ‘Adhi Shesha’. The snake has positioned itself in such a way that it has circled it’s body to make a bed and raised its hood to provide shelter to the Lord.

The deity of the Lord is very powerful in terms of faith. It is believed that Tippu Sultan often used to talk with the Lord Ranganatha himself. Though I had heard about this by my grandparents, I was curious to find anyone vouching for the facts. I was surprised when some locals whom I met agreed to the fact that Tippu and Ranganatha used to have conversations and that this was told to them by their ancestors. As I had mentioned in my earlier post that Tippu was a great believer of Lord Shiva, this was another incident of Tippu’s faith in and his devotion to the Lord.

It is also believed that there is Secret Passage from inside the Temple Leading directly to Tippu Sultan’s Palace. I heard locals saying that whenever Tippu wanted to talk to the Lord even in the middle of the nights, he could reach the Deity of the Lord through this Passage without being noticed by others.

Sri Sharada Temple, Sringeri.

Sringeri, also known as ‘Sringa Giri’ is located at a distance of 90 kms from Chickmagalur town on the banks of river Tunga.

Goddess Sharada, the presiding deity at Sringeri Temple has been consecrated by the Great Adi Shankaracharya. Goddess Sharada is worshipped for excellence in Learning, Knowledge.

Sringeri is known as the place of Learning. Sringeri also has an ancient temple of Vidyashankara, which is a fine example of artistic transition from Hoysala to Vijayanagara style of architecture.

Built in 1357 AD, the Structure of the temple is enriched with carvings of various big and small Hindu gods enshrined in niches with ornamental towers. A linga has been installed in the memory of Guru Vidyatheertha in the Sanctum sanctorum of the temple. To the north of this temple is a more recent temple built by skilled craftsmen of the 20 the century and houses the highly venerated Sharadamba image. The new temple is built in the Dravidian style. A small 14th century temple of Janardhana close by is attributed to the Vijayanagara period.

Apart from the temples of Sri Sharada and Sri Vidyashankara, which attract devotees from all parts of the country, the Shrine of Sri Malahanikareshwara is not only known for its age old antiquity, but also as an important shrine which the Acharya Himself venerates and worships on special occassions.
The mode of worship at Sringeri is characterized by reciting of Vedic Hymns and flowers of all kinds.

The place is accessible by Air, Road and Rail as well. the nearest airport one has to board or alight from a flight is Mangalore - 110 Kms.