Five Hoysala temples
off the tourist map……!
Hoysala dynasty was known to have built over
1,500 shrines, of which only 400 have been discovered. Lakshmi Sharath recommends five lesser-known but no-less splendid Hoysala temples that are off the radar
of most tourists
“Hoy
Sala " (Strike Sala!) said guru SudattaMuni to his student Sala, who
was in armed combat with a tiger. The beast had just attacked the duo, who were
immersed in rituals at a Durga or VasanthaParameshwari temple in the village of Sasakapura or Sosevur. The student
struck the animal in one blow, immortalizing himself and his victim. Pleased,
the guru instructed Sala to establish a kingdom. Thus was born the Hoysala
dynasty, with Sosevur as the capital.
We
are a country that loves stories. There are tales for everything from deities
to devils, from demi-gods to mortals. You will often hear this story told and
retold if you are in Malenadu in Karnataka.
Almost every Hoysala temple has this tale carved in stone, making it a royal
emblem.
The
dynasty that ruled Karnataka for
over 400 years is known more for its temples than its battles. It is believed
that they built over 1,500 shrines, of which more than 400 have been discovered
today. Of these only three have made it to the tourist map - Belur, Halebeedu and Somnathpur.
When
a dynasty owes its origins to a myth, one has to see the place where the story
was set. It is believed that Sala’s Sosevur is Angadi, a small hamlet in
Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. Deep inside coffee plantations lies the
temple of the Goddess, along with the ruins of more temples and Jain basadis.
The priest will narrate the story and show you the temple where Sala killed the
tiger. Although historians dismiss the myth, they do believe that the basadis
here are the earliest of the monuments built by the Hoysalas. Small mud roads
take you uphill into dense coffee plantations. As you follow the roads, you
reach a rugged path that takes you to the basadis. Another path leads you to
the three temples, which were
completely in ruins when I chanced upon them. They are the Chennakesava, Patalarudreshwara and Mallikarjuna temples. Surrounding you are verdant plantations and
all that you can hear is the chirping of birds, with hardly a soul around.
On the route to Belur from Hassan lies a small
green board that says “Doddagaddavalli”.Follow the arrow and drive through the detour and you will see lush fields and
coconut trees all along the way. As the eyes get blinded by the greenery, you
see the first glimpse of this beautiful 12th century temple, built by a
merchant, with a lake in the background and fields all around it. A quaint
hamlet with a handful of houses interrupts you, as you finally land right on
the doorstep of the temple. It is a Lakshmitemple with shrines dedicated to Kali, Shiva and Vishnu and the only Hoysala temple with four towers or vimanas. A serene lake completes
this picture-perfect monument as you look up to see the]
Hoysala crest basking in the sun.
Hulikere is not a temple but the only Kalyani or step-well that
I have seen in the
Hoysalamonuments. Located barely a few kilometers from the
Hoysaleshwar temple in Halebeedu,
the step-well has several shrines alongside it. The Pushpagiri hill looks down
on this small dusty hamlet and Hulikere often becomes the playground for the
village kids who head here to play “This is Queen Shantala Devi ‘s private
pond,” says the watchman, adding that it is called Hulikere because the
security arranged by the king for his queen was so secure that even a tiger could
not walk around it. So much for names and myths!
Three brothers competed with each other to build
the most beautiful Hoysala temple right here in Koravangala, near Hassan. But all that we saw
was a 12th century Dwikuta or a temple with two vimanas or towers dedicated to
Shiva called Bucheswara. It was built by a wealthy officer Buchi after he won
the war against the Cholas, although he lost his sons in the battle. The
inscriptions here say that Buchi vied with his brothers Govinda and Naka, whose
temples lie absolutely in ruins beside a dry lake bed.
Marle
Twin temples dedicated to Keshava and Siddeshwara lie in a quiet remote village called Marle in Chikmagalur district. The village spoke of tribal chieftain Poysala Muruga, one of the earliest founders of the dynasty. Yet, today, you barely see a soul around you as you walk along dry fields and patches of land to see the temples virtually lost to the sky and earth. The two lie side by side, adorned with some flowers left by a priest from the neighbourhood.
Twin temples dedicated to Keshava and Siddeshwara lie in a quiet remote village called Marle in Chikmagalur district. The village spoke of tribal chieftain Poysala Muruga, one of the earliest founders of the dynasty. Yet, today, you barely see a soul around you as you walk along dry fields and patches of land to see the temples virtually lost to the sky and earth. The two lie side by side, adorned with some flowers left by a priest from the neighbourhood.
The Virupaksha temple is one of
the most recognized structures in Hampi. Located at the Hampi Bazaar, it has an
iconic 160-foot tall 'gopuram' or tower at its entrance. This temple is
dedicated to Lord Shiva. Though the
city was destroyed in 1565, worship in the temple has persisted over the
centuries.
