Kesava temple at Somanathapura, which is around 130 Kms from Bangalore ,is one the well preserved and a good example of Hoysala Architecture and was the most prominent empires in Karnataka.
The origin of Hoysalas:
Kannada folk story goes like this, The Jain Guru Sudatta instructed his student Sala to strike the tiger when they encountered it near a temple at the now Angadi,near chikmagalur.When the student heard Hoy-sala( Which in translation means "strike Sala") he killed the tiger with his strike.
The folklore became so popular that every temple of the Hoysalas has this story carved in stone and it became the emblem of the dynasty.
An artist's impression of the Chennakesava Temple at Somanathapura.
Depictions of the royal family riding richly decorated chariots, soldiers and commoners riding horses, camel drawn vehicles, dancers, musicians, hunters armed with bows and arrows and accompanied by their dogs, all heading for a hunt. There are sculptures of royal palaces protected by armed guards, intricate carvings of jewellery, such as pendants, necklaces, waistbands and rings and of woman sporting hair styles that were in vogue. Hoysala artists are famous for their sculptural detail, be it in the depiction of the Hindu epics, yallis( mythical creature seen in many Hindu temples, often sculpted onto the pillars), deities, Kirtimukha (gargoyles), eroticism or aspects of daily life.
The temple is housed inside an high walled enclosure and the entrance to the complex is through a porch with tall lathe-turned pillars. The temple which is built on a platform.The jagati (Platform in english) which is in unity with the rest of the temple follows a star-shaped design and the walls of the temple follows a zig-zag pattern.We can find lots of literature regarding hoysala architecture over the internet.
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| Some portions of the pillar destroyed by people |
There are no temple activities going on in this place anymore since a long time.The temple is in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India as a protected heritage site.There are two other Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebidu.
Somanathapura Directions
Entry ticket :Rs 5/- for Indians and Rs 100/- for Foreign Nationals.
There is an antiques selling shop just near the entrance.
Other places of interest around Somanathapura.
Shivanasamudra Falls is around 45kms from Somanathapura. Enjoy the coracle ride near the falls. Somanathapura is a must include day trip (or half a day trip) from Bangalore.
