Marikamba Temple, Sirsi
The Marikamba Temple in Sirsi, Karnataka, India, is a Hindu temple dedicated to a form of the goddess Durga. She is also known as Marigudi, where “Doddamma” denotes the “older sister” of all the Mariammas in Karnataka. The central icon is an image of the eight-armed Durga, also known by the names Renuka and Yellamma. It was built in 1688. It is 83 kilometers (52 miles) east of Gokarna. Features The facade of the temple, a 19th century addition, is painted blue. After entering through the facade, there is a courtyard in the middle, which has cloisters surrounding it. The cloisters are filled with images of deities from Hindu epics. Changes made inside the temple have hidden any evidence of older structures. The sanctum sanctorum has the central image of a fierce form of the goddess Durga, with several arms (eight shoulders), riding a tiger and slaying a demon. It is believed [by whom?] That the 2.1 m (7 ft) high image was recovered from a pond on the road to Hanagal. The temple has very special wall paintings in the Kaavi art, an art form that was popular in the coastal region of Konkan in Karnataka. In this now-extinct art form, the plastered upper layer of the mural was first stained with a red pigment, which when removed revealed a white lower layer of plaster on which the murals were created. Marikamba Devi in kortagere. Worship The main priest of the temple belongs to the caste of the carpenter or Vishvakarma. Kanakadasa, a famous holy poet from the Bhakti movement, visited the temple and advised people to stop the animal sacrifice of the buffalo. When Mahatma Gandhi visited Sirsi in 1934, during his campaign to abolish Dalit untouchability, he refused to visit the temple, as animal sacrifice was an ancient practice prevalent in the temple; the sacrifice was in the form of a buffalo offering as a sacrifice to appease the goddess. A buffalo was specially bred to be offered as a sacrifice to the deity during the annual Rathayatra. Following Gandhi’s protest, there was a social movement in the city not only to abolish animal sacrifice but also to allow Dalits to enter the temple. This movement was spearheaded by Keshwain, the temple’s chief administrator, in association with Vitthal Rao Hodike, a teacher and dedicated Gandhian from the city. Both objectives of the movement were met. Jaatre The Sirsi Marikamba jaatre (carriage procession) of the deity takes place every alternate year in the month of March and is carried out throughout the city. It is attended by a large number of devotees. It is said [by whom?] That it is the most famous and largest fair (jaatre) in the state of Karnataka. Devotees from across the state participate in this huge event by indulging in the procession. Amusements for children, circuses, variety of shops, dramas and plays and many things like that are prepared for the people. It represents the story of the goddess who kills mahishasura.
Yediyur Siddhalingeshwara Swamy Temple
Yediyuru Siddhalingeshwara Temple is a very famous pilgrimage center located in Yedeyuru village, Kunigal city of Karnataka state in India. Although called a temple, it contains Nirvikalpa Shivayoga Samadhi of Tontada Siddalinga, a great revered Lingayata saint who flourished during the late 15th century. The temple holds annual festivals during Maha Shivaratri and Ugadi. On the seventh day of the beginning of the Hindu (Ugadi) calendar Chaitra bahula saptami, jathre is performed to mark the attainment of Sri Siddhalingeshwara’s Samadhi. Every year in Maha Shivarathri Sahasra Rudrabhisheka is performed. The Sahasra Kamala Pooja, Laksha Bilvarchane pooje is performed in the month of Shravana and Kumbhabhisheka is performed every new moon day. During the annual festival of Deepavali (festival of lights) Laksha Deepotsava is performed by lighting the temple with oil lamps according to the Hindu tradition. The temple has a large wooden chariot (Ratha). The automobile festival takes place on the seventh lunar day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra Masa (March-April). About shri Yediyuru Siddhalingeshwara Temple Sri Siddalingeshwara Swamy, a great Saint Sharana worshiped on the path of Lingayatha Shiva Sharana Parampare of spreading Thatva of Life called VACHANAS. He traveled far and wide preaching the Sharana faith, which is predominantly praying with ISHTA LINGA (atma linga) as envisioned by Basavanna, Allamaprabhu and a vast group of learned men and women from all walks of life (12th century in present day Bijapur district). He performed 12 years of penance in a garden belonging to Vokkaligara Nambiyana (Thota) and thus came to be known as Thontada Siddalingeshwara Swamy. He led the Murugi Mutha and had a large number of disciples, some of whom wrote on the faith and philosophy of Lingayat. Therefore, Yedeyuru is considered to be a seat of awakened spiritual awareness. He wrote Shathsthala Jnana Saramrutha, which contains 701 Vachanas (Poems) that are leading Sthalas (path) to Attain Ikya, meaning participation in light. He traveled everywhere, preached eternal truth, and performed many miracles for dozens of people regardless of his caste or creed. His life and his values that he possessed demonstrated the divine powers that he had achieved to heal the sick and suffering. He is considered as one of the greatest saints of the Sharana sect in the Lingayat religion.
Bhutanatha (bhoothnath) group of temples, Badami
The Bhutanatha group of temples are 7th to 12th century Hindu temples east of Lake Agasthya in Badami, Karnataka state, India. It consists of two subgroups: one called the Eastern Bhutanatha group or main group of Bhutanatha from the 7th to the 8th century, mainly in the Dravida architectural style; the other called North Bhutanatha group or Mallikarjuna group from the 11th to 12th centuries mainly in Nagara architecture. The first illustrates Badami Chalukya architects, the second together with the nearby Yellamma temple by Kalyani Chalukya architects. Bhutanatha main group The Bhutanatha main group (700–725 CE) is the oldest group of Hindu shrines east of Agastya Teertha. The oldest temple in this group is the great main temple. It has a gudha-mandapa with four massive central pillars (partly octagonal, cubic and rounded around). This mandapa connects to a smaller square-plan shrine with a Shiva linga. At the top of the sanctuary is the Dravida-style tritala superstructure (three stories). The lower part consists of padabandha and kumbha. The vimana walls have karnas with Brahmakanta style pilasters. The nasis on the wall represent heads of kinnaras and gandharvas. The second floor of the superstructure repeats the largest lowest floor, and the third floor is half the second in size, and again repeats the same elements in rhythmic fashion. A square vedi topped with a short shikhara completes the superstructure. The picture niches on the wall of the shrine and the hall are now empty, although there are still some decorative elements such as makharas (mythical beast) with long tails. The mandapa has jali (perforated windows to illuminate the interior of the mantapa). On each side of the foot of the sanctuary door there is an image of the Ganges goddess in her vehicle, the makara, on the right, and on the left, that of the Yamuna goddesses riding the turtle. There is no dedicatory block on the lintel. Other works of art found nearby include Ganesha and Mahisasuramardini. A notable feature here is the inscription on the outer wall of the temple, announcing a gift from a Paingara family to the Sridharbuteswara (probably an epithet for the deity). This inscription can be dated to approximately the end of the 9th century. This suggests that the main temple was in active use at that time. The pillars of the portico have a square cross section that transforms into an octagonal cross section. Outside, there is a stepped ghat for devotees and pilgrims. The smaller shrines are in ruins and were added later, probably until the end of the 8th century. To the east of the complex, on a rock, there are four Shaiva reliefs with unusual architectural details – these are impressions of four architectural styles of the Shiva shrine with a panchakuta superstructure on a square plan. These may date from the late 7th or early 8th century, and help establish that this temple complex was a Shaiva complex from its origin. To the north of the main temple is a small shrine which, proposed by Henry Cousens in 1923, was originally consecrated to Vishnu. At some point, the temple was adopted by the followers of Lingayatism who built an outer hall and installed a Nandi (Shiva vehicle) and a Shiva linga inside the sanctuary. Mallikarjuna Group The Mallikarjuna group is close to the main Bhutanatha group, but located in the northern part of the artificial lake. It consists of several temples. These open to the south and are marked by its remarkable pyramidal superstructure in the Phamsana Nagara style of the 11th to 12th centuries. The largest temple was probably a Vishnu temple, it saw a period when these ruined temples were in disuse and was re-consecrated with Shiva linga while the remains of his historical artwork were preserved. These temples present the building ideas explored by Kalyani Chalukya architects. The largest temple has an open rectangular mandapa with eight pillars, which connects to an inner mandapa, antarala, and garbhagriya, all on a square plane. All the temples in this group have simpler walls, eaves angled over the open blanket (hall). The artwork found in this group includes both Vishnu and Shiva.
Chennakeshava Temple, Belur
The Chennakeshava Temple, also known as the Keshava, Kesava or Vijayanarayana Temple of Belur, is a 12th century Hindu temple in the Hassan district of the state of Karnataka, India. It was commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE, on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur, also called Velapura, one of the first capitals of the Hoysala Empire. The temple was built over three generations and took 103 years to complete. It was repeatedly damaged and looted during wars, repeatedly rebuilt and repaired throughout its history. It is located 35 km from Hassan city and about 200 km from Bangalore. Chennakesava (literally, “handsome Kesava”) is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. The temple is dedicated to Vishnu and has been an active Hindu temple since its founding. It is reverently described in medieval Hindu texts and remains an important pilgrimage site in Vaishnavism. The temple stands out for its architecture, sculptures, reliefs, friezes as well as for its iconography, inscriptions and history. The temple artwork depicts scenes from secular life in the 12th century, dancers and musicians, as well as a pictorial narration of Hindu texts such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas through numerous friezes. It is a Vaishnava temple that reverently includes many themes from Shaivism and Shaktism, as well as images of a Jina from Jainism and the Buddha from Buddhism. The Chennakeshava Temple is a testament to the artistic, cultural and theological perspectives in 12th century South India and the rule of the Hoysala Empire. The Belur temple complex along with the nearby Hindu and Jain temples at Halebidu have been proposed to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Location The Chennakeshava temple is located in Belur taluk in the Hassan district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about 35 kilometers (22 miles) northwest of Hassan. The temple is about 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) from the Halebidu temples. Belur does not have an airport nearby and is located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Bengaluru (IATA code: BLR), about a 3.5 hour drive accessible by a four-lane NH75 highway. Hassan is the closest town near Belur which is connected by a railway network to the main cities of Karnataka. The Chennakeshava Temple is an active Hindu temple and an important Vaishnava pilgrimage site. It is located on the banks of the Yagachi River (also called the Badari River in historical texts), a tributary of the Hemavati River. History The Hoysala period of South Indian history began around 1000 CE and continued until 1346 CE. In this period, they built around 1,500 temples in 958 centers. Belur is called Beluhur, Velur or Velapura in ancient inscriptions and texts from medieval times. It was the first capital of the Hoysala kings. The city was so esteemed by the Hoysalas that it is known as “earthly Vaikuntha” (the abode of Vishnu) and “dakshina Varanasi” (southern holy city of the Hindus) in later inscriptions. One of the Hoyasala kings was Vishnuvardhana, who came to power in 1110 CE. He commissioned the Chennakeshava temple dedicated to Vishnu in 1117 CE, a temple considered to be one of the “five foundations” of his legacy. According to Dhaky, a student of Indian temple architecture and history, this temple reflects the growing opulence, political power, deep spiritual dedication to Ramanujacharya’s Sri Vaishnavism, and is his masterpiece. The main temple is called Vijaya-Narayana and the smaller temple next to it built by its queen Santala Devi is called Chennakesava in the inscriptions of her time, but these two temples are now called the Chennakesava temple and the Chennigaraya temple respectively. The main Chennakeshava temple at Belur was completed and consecrated in 1117 CE, although the complex continued to expand for 100 years. Vishnuvardhana moved the capital from him to Dorasamudra, (also known as Dvarasamudra, now Halebidu), famous for the Hoysaleswara Temple dedicated to Shiva. Construction of it continued until his death in 1140 CE. His legacy was continued by his descendants who completed the Hoysaleswara Temple in 1150 CE, and other temples some 200 kilometers away, such as the Chennakesava Temple, Somanathapura in 1258 CE. The Hoysala employed many prominent architects and craftsmen who developed a new architectural tradition, which art historian Adam Hardy calls the Karnata Dravida tradition. The Hoysala Empire and its capital were invaded, looted, and destroyed in the early 14th century by Malik Kafur, a commander of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji. Belur and Halebidu became the target of looting and destruction in 1326 CE by another army from the Delhi Sultanate. The territory was taken by the Vijayanagara Empire. The Hoysala style, claims James C. Harle, came to an end in the mid-14th century, when the King of Hoysala, Veera Ballala III, died in a war with the Muslim sultanate of Madurai followed by his son. Inscriptions Historians have found 118 inscriptions in the temple complex, dated between 1117 CE and the 18th century, providing a history of the temple, grants given to the Chennakeshava temple for its maintenance and repairs during later times. An inscription found on the east wall near the north entrance to the temple’s main mandapa (hall) indicates that Vishnuvardhana commissioned the temple for the god Vijayanarayana in 1117 CE. Some historians have interpreted this inscription to indicate that the Chennakeshava temple was completed in 1117 CE. The Chennigaraya Temple was built at the same time as the main temple and was sponsored by the Queen. The original temple had no boundary wall. The main mandapa was also open for devotees to view and appreciate the intricate carvings within the temple. For the security of the temple, a high wall was built around the temple, a wooden and brick entrance and doors added by Somayya Danayaka during the rule of Veera Ballala III (1292-1343), as well as the open mandapa covered with screens of perforated stone. The new screens darkened the interior of the temple making it difficult to
Hoysaleswara Temple
Shiva and Parvati at the Nandi bull at the Hoysalesvara temple, Halebidu is a 12th century city located in the Hassan district of Karnataka, India. The Hoysaleswara Temple, which dates back to 1121 C.E., is astonishing in its wealth of sculptural detail. The walls of the temple are covered with an infinite variety of representations of Hindu mythology, animals, birds and Shilabalikas or dancing figures. However, no two temple sculptures are alike. This magnificent temple guarded by a Nandi bull was never completed, despite 86 years of work. The nearby Jain basadi are equally rich in sculptural detail. Belur and Halebid are 222 and 216 km from Bangalore, respectively. This temple is now proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Halebidu is located in Hassan district, Karnataka, India. Halebidu (formerly called Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra) was the royal capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century. It is home to one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture in the ornate Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples. Halebidu literally means city in ruins. It is given this name because this city was ruined twice by the Bahmani Sultanate. Halebidu was the capital of the Hoysalas in the 12th century. The Hoysaleswara Temple was built during this time by Ketamala and attributed to Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysala ruler. He consecrates Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara, named after the temple builder Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and his wife, Queen Shantala. It was then sacked by the armies of Malik Kafur in the early 14th century, after which it fell into a state of disrepair and neglect. History Halebidu is located in the middle of a valley east of the Western Ghats. It is surrounded by low mountains, boulders, and seasonal rivers. This valley is well connected with northern Karnataka, western Andhra Pradesh, and northern Tamil Nadu. Around this region, between the 10th and 14th centuries, the Hoysaḷa dynasty came to power, whose history is not clear. According to their own inscriptions from the 11th and 12th centuries, they were descendants of the Krishna-Baladeva roots and the Yadavas of Maharashtra. They were married in the Hindu Kalyana Chalukya dynasty, known for its temple and artistic tradition. Some historians have questioned the reliability of these inscriptions as a potential mythology on the part of some historians, who propose that the Hoysala were a local Hindu family: a hill chief in the Western Ghats remembered for having killed a tiger or a lion, and they took over and eventually expanded. its power from the 10th century on. Halebidu was rebuilt near a large reservoir by the early Hoysala kings, with the support of their governors, merchants, and artisans. They excavated and greatly expanded the Dorasamudra reservoir. The important and spectacularly carved Hindu and Jain temples were already completed in the 12th century. Around the city were walls of forts, which generally laid out a rounded square area with an average length of 2.25 kilometers. Inside were four large water tanks and many smaller public water tanks. The life of the city, its main temples and the roads were centered near the Dorasamudra water reservoir. The city has several dozen temples, of which only a small group has survived. Three sets of temples, Hoysaleswara (twin temple), Jain Basadi (3 temples), and Kedareshvara (1 temple), were the largest, most sophisticated in their architecture and artwork, while the rest were simpler. To the immediate west of the main Hindu and Jain temples was the Hoysala Palace. This palace stretched south to Benne Gudda (literally Butter Hill). The palace is completely ruined and missing, with a section lost in mounds and fragments found near Benne Gudda. To the west of the palace was another group of Hindu and Jain temples: the site of Nagaresvara, also destroyed whose ruins have been found in mounds. To the north of the original city of Hoysala there was a Saraswati temple and a Krishna temple, both also in ruins and mostly lost. Towards the center and south of the old city were the Hucesvara temple and a Rudresvara temple, evidenced by inscriptions and ruins that have been discovered. Four temples have survived in the northeast section: Gudlesvara, Virabhadra, Kumbalesvara, and Ranganatha. The western part of the fortified section and beyond the fort were the historic farms that fed the population of the capital Dorasamudra. The roads connected the capital of Hoysala with other important cities and places of pilgrimage such as Belur and Pushpagiri. Numerous inscriptions dating from the mid-10th to early 13th century attest to the importance of Dorasamudra to various kings of Hoysala. After the first invasion and destruction of Dorasamudra in the 14th century, the inscriptions suggest that there were attempts to repair the temples, the palace, and the infrastructure at Dorasamudra. As a condition of ending the invasion, Malik Kafur of the Delhi Sultanate demanded that King Ballala accept Khalji’s sovereignty, pay tribute and provide logistical support to the Sultanate forces seeking to raid and loot the legendary wealth in the Pandya capital of Madurai in Tamil. Nadu. Additional waves of wars of destruction and loot from the sultanates ended the kingdom of Hoysala and the prosperity of Dorasamudra as a capital city. For nearly 300 years, Dorasamudra saw no new inscriptions or evidence of political or economic prosperity. A mid-17th century Nayaka-era inscription at Belur thereafter becomes the first to mention “Halebidu.” Meanwhile, the surviving Hindu and Jain communities continued to support and repair the temples, with evidence of living temples in what is now the northern part of Halibidu.
Murudeshwar Temple
Murudeshwara is a town in the Bhatkal Taluk of the Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India. The city is located 13 km from the taluk headquarters of Bhatkal. Murudeshwara is famous for the second tallest Shiva statue in the world, the city is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murudeshwara Temple. Murudeshwara has a railway station on the Konkan Mangaluru-Mumbai railway route. The origin of the name “Murdeshwar” dates back to the time of the Ramayana. The Hindu gods achieved immortality and invincibility by worshiping a divine Linga called Atma-Linga. King Lanka Ravana wanted to achieve immortality by obtaining the Atma-Linga (Soul of Shiva). Since the Atma-Linga belonged to Shiva, Ravana worshiped Shiva with devotion. Pleased by his prayers, Shiva appeared before him and asked what he wanted. Ravana asked for the Atma-Linga. Shiva agreed to give him the blessing on the condition that he never lay down on the ground before reaching Lanka. If the Atma-Linga is ever placed on the ground, it would be impossible to move it. Having obtained his blessing, Ravana set out on his journey back to Lanka. Lord Vishnu, who learned of this incident, realized that with the Atma-Linga, Ravana can obtain immortality and wreak havoc on the earth. He approached Ganesha and asked him to prevent the Atma-Linga from reaching Lanka. Ganesha knew that Ravana was a very devout person who performed prayer rituals every night without fail. He decided to make use of this fact and came up with a plan to confiscate Ravana’s Atma-Linga. As Ravana approached Gokarna, Vishnu blotted out the sun to give the appearance of dusk. Ravana now had to perform the night rituals for him, but he was worried that with the Atma-Linga in his hands, he would not be able to perform the rituals for him. At this moment, Ganesha disguised as a brahmin boy approached him. Ravana asked him to hold the Atma-Linga until he performed his rituals and asked him not to place it on the ground. Ganesha made a deal with him saying that he would call Ravana three times, and that if Ravana did not return within that time, he would place the Atma-Linga on the ground. Ravana returned and found that Ganesha had already placed the Atma-Linga on the ground. Vishnu then removed the illusion from him and it was day again. Ravana, realizing that he had been deceived, tried to uproot and destroy the linga. Due to the force exerted by Ravana, some pieces were scattered. One such piece of the linga head is said to have fallen in present-day Surathkal. The famous Sadashiva temple is said to have been built around that piece of linga. He then decided to destroy the cover of the Atma-Linga and threw the case that covered it to a place called Sajjeshwar, 37 kilometers away. He then threw the lid of the box to a place called Guneshwar (now Gunavanthe) and Dhareshwar, 16-19 kilometers away. Finally, he threw the cloth that covered the Atma-Linga to a place called Mrideshwar on Kanduka-Giri (Kanduka Hill). Mrideshwar has been renamed Murdeshwar. Main attractions Shiva statue: A huge statue of Shiva, visible from great distances, is present in the temple complex. It is the second tallest Shiva statue in the world. The tallest statue of Shiva is found in Nepal, known as (Kailashnath Mahadev Statue). The statue is 123 feet (37 m) tall and took about two years to build. The statue was built by Kashinath of Shivamogga and several other sculptors, financed by businessman and philanthropist Rama Nagappa Shetty, at a cost of approximately Rs 50 million. The idol is designed to receive direct sunlight and therefore appear bright. Murdeshwar Temple and Raja Gopura: This temple is built on the Kanduka hill, which is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea. It is dedicated to Sri Lokankara, and a 20-story gopura is built in the temple. The temple authorities have installed an elevator that offers a view of the 123-foot Sri Shiva idol from the top of the Raja gopura. There is also a Rameshwara linga at the foot of the hill, where devotees can do seva themselves. A Shaneswar temple has been built next to the Sri Akshayaguna idol. Two life-size concrete elephants stand guard on the steps leading up to him. The entire temple and temple complex, including the 209-foot-tall Raja Gopura, is one of the tallest. There are statues of Sun Chariot on the side of a park, swimming pool, statues representing Arjuna receiving Geetopadesham from Lord Krishna, Ravana being deceived by Ganesha in disguise, the manifestation of Shiva as Bhaghirnath, descending from the Ganges, carved around the hill.The temple is completely modernized except for the sanctum sanctorum which is still dark and retains its composure. The main deity is Sri Mridesa Linga, also called Murdeshwar. The linga is believed to be a piece of the original Atma Linga and is about two feet below ground level. Devotees who perform special sevas such as Abhisheka, Rudrabhisheka, Rathotsava, etc., can see the deity standing before the threshold of the sanctuary and the Linga is illuminated by oil lamps held nearby by the priests. The Linga is essentially a rough rock inside a hole in the ground. Entrance to the sanctuary is prohibited for all devotees.