Holy Pilgrimage – Karnataka State –( Talagunda temple, Talakad temple, Tamboor Basavanna temple, Trikuteshvara temple, Tripurantaka temple, Turuvukere temple, Viranarayana temple and Vijayanarayana temple ) -26 at 10:52 PM

Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Karnataka State

 

Talagunda Temple, Karnataka

Talagunda is a village in the Shikaripura taluk of Shimoga district in the state of Karnataka, India. Many inscriptions found here have provided insights into the rise of the Kadamba Dynasty. 

History

Talagunda was earlier known as Sthanagundur and it was an agrahara (a place of religious learning).  This is the earliest known agrahara found in Karnataka  An inscription found at Talagunda indicates that 32 Brahmins were relocated from a place called Ahichchatra to Sthanagundur by Mukanna (or Trinetra), thereby creating an agrahara  Mukanna was an ancestor of Mayurasharma, the founder of the Kadamba Dynasty. Education was imparted at Talagunda for eight centuries and the subjects that were taught included vedas, vedanta, grammar and philosophy. The Kannada language was taught at primary level and clothing and food was provided to the students and teachers.

Inscriptions

A temple dedicated to Pranaveshwara (Hindu God Shiva) is located in Talagunda. Next to it is located a stone slab containing inscriptions. In front of it is a pillar containing inscriptions in Sanskrit. The pillar inscriptions were written in the mid 5th century CE during the reign of Śāntivarman (a descendant of Mayurasharma).  The author of this inscription was Kubja, the court-poet of Śāntivarman.  He engraved the inscriptions himself to prevent any other engraver from committing mistakes
Kubja, describes these inscriptions as a kavya thus:
In deference to the command of King Santivarman,
Kubja has written this, his own kavya,
upon the face of this rock
 The inscriptions indicate that Mayurasharma, native of Talagunda ,  was accomplished in vaidika and went to the Pallava capital, Kanchipuram to study scriptures, accompanied by his guru and grandfather Veerasharama. There, having been humiliated by a Pallava guard (horseman), in a rage Mayurasharma gave up his Brahminic studies and took to the sword to avenge his insult.  The inscription vividly describes the event thus:
That the hand dextrous in grasping the kusha grass, fuel and stones, ladle, melted butter and the oblation vessel, unsheathed a flaming sword, eager to conquer the earth
The inscriptions thus describe Kadambas as Brahmins turned conquerors and praise Brahmins as "Gods on earth, and speakers of Sama, Rig and Yajur Vedas".  The Kadamba lineage is described as descending from a three-sage line in the Hariti pravara and belonging to the Manavya gothra

 

Talakad Temple , Karnataka

Talakadu is a desert-like town on the left bank of the Kaveri river at a spot where the river makes a sharp bend. It is 45 km from Mysore and 133 km from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. A historic site, Talakadu once had over 30 temples that today are buried in sand. Now it is a scenic and spiritual pilgrimage centre.   Here the eastward flowing Kaveri river changes course and seems magnificently vast as here the sand on its banks spreads over a wide area.

History              

 The origin of the town is lost in antiquity; but one tradition is that its name was derived from two Kirāta twin brothers, Tala and Kādu, who, cutting down a tree which they saw wild elephants worshiping, discovered that it contained an image of Vishnu, and that the elephants were rishis transformed. The tree being miraculously restored, all obtained mōksha and the place was named Tala-kādu, which was translated into Sanskrit as Dala-vana. Two stone images declared to represent the brothers are pointed out in front of the temple Veerabadra swamy. In a later age, Rāma is said to have halted here on his expedition to Lanka.

The earliest authentic notice of the city of Talekād or Talakādu, in Sanskrit Dalavana-pura, is in connection with the Ganga line of kings. Harivarma, who has been assigned to find a place (247-266 A.D) was, according to an old chronicle, installed at Skandapura (said to be Gajalhatti, in the Coimbatore country, near where the Moyār flows into the Bhavāni), but resided in the great city of Dalavanapura in the Karnāta-dēsa. Thenceforward Talkād became the capital these powerful sovereigns and there the subsequent kings of that line were crowned.
At the beginning of the 11th century, the Gangas succumbed to the Chōlas, who captured Talkād and gave it the name of Rājarājapura. But about a hundred years later it was taken by the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana, who drove the Chōlas out of Mysore. After this time we find that Talkād was composed of seven towns and five mathas or monastic establishments. The town of Māyilangi or Malingi, on the opposite side of the river, was also a large place, and had the name of Jananāthapura. Down to the middle of the 14th century, it remained a possession of the Hoysalas, and then passed into the hands of a feudatory of the Vijayanagar sovereigns, whose line appears to be known as that of Sōma-Rāja.

Curse of Talakad

In 1610 it was conquered by the Mysore Rāja under the following circumstances. Tirumala-Rāja, sometimes called Srī Ranga Rāya, the representative of the Vijayanagar family at Seringapatam (Srirangapatna), being afflicted with an incurable disease, came to Talkād for the purpose of offering sacrifices in the temple of Vedēsvara. His wife Rangamma was left in charge of the Government of Seringapatam ; but she, hearing that her husband was on the point of death, soon after left for Talkād with the object of seeing him before he died, handing over Seringapatam and its dependencies to Rāja Wodeyar of Mysore, whose dynasty ever afterwards retained them. It appears that Rāja Wodeyar had been desirous of possessing a costly nose-jewel which was the property of the Rāni, and being unable to obtain possession of it by stratagem, and eager to seize any pretext for acquiring fresh territory, he levied an army and proceeded against Talkādu, which he took by escalade ; the Rāja of latter place falling in the action. The Rāni Rangamma thereupon went to the banks of the Cauvery, and throwing in the jewel, drowned herself opposite Mālingi, at the same time uttering a three-fold curse,-"Let Talakād become sand ; let Mālingi become a whirlpool ; let the Mysore Rājas fail to beget heirs." The latter part is now happily of no effect.
Talakadu is also tagged to the curse called “Curse of Talakad” by Alamelamma on the Wodeyar dynasty (erstwhile Maharajas) of Mysore.
The Talakadu curse has established itself in the folklore as a miracle since the early part of 16th century because of two strange events visible even to date: (i) Talakad, an historically vibrant city, is now being submerged under sand dunes several meters deep, and (ii) the Mysore royal family have faced problem in having a rightful heir to the throne since the 17th century. Both these events linked to an apparent curse by a pious lady (Alamelamma) have defied logic. Based on the data from diverse sources and field studies, K. N. Ganeshaiah has reconstructed the possible chronology of events of this acclaimed miracle. Ganeshaiah argues that the Talakad phenomenon represents an ecological disaster unintentionally wrought on to a vibrant civilization at this place and in this sense the curse per se is an intelligently inserted story as an overlay. Using this example he discusses the possible process through which the miracles or myths of this kind survive in a society.
The curse of Talakad - "Talakadu Maralagi, Malangi Maduvagi, Mysooru Arasarige Makkalagadirali"- the female Alamelamma cursed this way. (translation- ")May Talakadu be filled with Sand, Malangi be a Whirlpool and Mysore Kings shall not have offsprings") The Talakadu shiva temples will be filled with sand and the same is excavated once in five by the Government and (the Local Temple Trust)and people are allowed to have darshan (called Panchalinga Darshan of Talakadu). Within one month of excavation and Panchalinga darshan, the sand will fill the temples like in a desert. Mysore Kings have all their offsprings by adoption since the day of Alamelamma's curse.
The following is what is known as the curse of Talkād, in the original :-

       Talkādu Maralaāgi.

       Mālingi maduvaāgi

       Mysuru dhorege makkalagade hōgali.

(ತಲಕಾಡು ಮರಳಾಗಿ; ಮಾಲಿಂಗಿ ಮಡುವಾಗಿ, ಮೈಸೂರು ದೊರೆಗೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳಾಗದೆ ಹೋಗಲಿ!)

The old city Talkād is completely buried beneath the hills of sand stretching for nearly a mile in length, only the tops of two pagodas being visible. The sand hills used to advance upon the town at the rate of 9 or 10 feet a year, principally during the south-west monsoon and as they pressed it close on three sides, the inhabitants were constantly forced to abandon their houses and retreat further inland. The town, however, is increasing in population, owing to the rich wet cultivation in the neighbourhood, derived from the Mādhavamantri anicut and channel. More than thirty temples, it is stated, are beneath the sand. That of Kírti Nārāyana is occasionally opened with great labour sufficiently to allow access for certain ceremonies. The most imposing temple left uncovered by the sand is that of Vaidyēsvara.
In the early part of the last century two temples Ānandēsvara and Gaurisankara, were unearthed. Four fragmentary records were found on the outer walls of the Pātālēsvara temple. One of these is an old inscription in Kannada of the Ganga period, the others being in Tamil. The Ānandēsvara temple is said to have been built by one Chidānandasvāmi, a contemporary of Haidar. A story is related of the Svāmi that he once crossed the Cauvery in full flood seated on a plantain leaf and that Haidar who witnessed the miracle greatly honoured him and made a grant of land for the temple founded by him. A Kannada inscription at the Gaurisankara temple tells us that this temple was built during the reign of the Mysore king Chikka-Dēva-Rāja-Wodeyar (1672–1704). The Hoysala ruler, Vishnuvardhana, conquered the Gangas and Talakad. He built the impressive Vijayanarayana Chennakesava Temple at Belur.

Some other legends

Several other interesting legends also surround this shrine. It is believed that an ascetic Somadatta headed out to Siddharanya Kshetra Talakad to worship Shiva. Having been killed by wild elephants en route, he and his disciples re-incarnated as wild elephants and worshipped Shiva in the form of a tree at Talakad.
Two hunters Tala and Kada, are believed to have struck the tree with an axe to find blood gushing forth, and upon the bidding of a heavenly voice, dressed the wound of the tree with the tree's leaves and fruits. The tree healed, and the hunters became immortal. Since Shiva is believed to have healed himself through this incident, he is referred to as Vaidyeshwara. The Panchalingams here are all associated with this legend.

Temples

At Talakad sand covers the temples. Stone pillars, square at the base and made to fit into a wheel below the abacus, lie scattered about.  Among the temples of Talakad, the Pathaleshwara, Maruleshwara, Arkeshwara, Vaidyanatheshwara and Mallikarjuna temples, the five Lingams believed to represent the five faces of Shiva, form the Pancha pathi and have become famous In honour of these five Shiva temples, a fair is held once every 12 years called Panchalinga Darshana, last held in 2009. The Panchalinga Darshana is held on a new moon day in the month of Karthika when two stars conjoin, the stars of Khuha Yoga and Vishaka.On this day, tradition has it that pilgrims should first bathe in the Gokarna theertham, worship Gokarneswara and Chandikadevi, and then worship Vaidyeshwara, and then bathe in the northern eastern southern and western stretches of the Kaveri and then worship Arkeshwara, Pataleshwara, Maraleshwara and Mallikarjuna, returning to Vaidyeshwara after each worship, finally worship Kirtinarayana and conclude the pilgrimage in one day.

According to local legend, Ramanujacharya during his sojourn in Karnataka (also called Melnadu), established five Vishnu temples of Lord Narayana known as Pancha Narayana Kshetrams. Talakad is one of the Pancha Narayana Kshetrams where the Keerthi Narayana temple was established and the presiding Deity in this temple is Keerthi Narayana.

 

Tamboor Basavanna Temple, Karnataka

 

Tamboor is in Kalghatgi Taluk, Dharwad District in North Karnataka, India. It is about 8 km from Kalghatagi.
Tamboor is a town about 11 km from Kalghatgi (via Devikoppa) NH 63, 3 km from main road in Karnataka state, India.
Tamboor name came to village due to the huge availability of copper in earlier years. "Tamra nagar" converted to tamroor and tamboor.
Tamboor is located at Western Ghats. Thick forests here hold tigers, chital, elephant, sarang, cobra, and other wildlife. Transport: better to travel in one's own vehicle. Three daily buses and tempose traveling via Devikoppa from Kalghatgi, Hubli, Dharwad and Yellapur. Nearest places: Kalghatgi, Dharwad, Hubli and Yellapur. Other local areas of interest include Tamboor Lake, Satoo Shahid Durga, Kali River, Anashi Reserve Forest, Supa Dam.

Basavanna temple

Tamboor is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. The Temple of Basavanna, one of the most revered saints of the Lingayat faith lies here. In the 12th century, the Chalukya and Ganga dynasties ruled there. The Tamboor jathre or congregations attracts pilgrims from all over Karnataka as one of the major community or `panchamsali lingayaths' are large number devoted here visiting regularly.
Tamboor (Tambur)  Basavanna temple  is situated 11 km from Kalghatgi, at the end of Devikoppa Forest

 

 

Trikuteshwara Temple, Gadag, Karnataka

The Trikuteshwara temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. The carved temple  is in the town of Gadag, 50 km southeast of Hubli-Dharwad, North Karnataka in Karnataka, India. It is dedicated to Shiva and has three lingams mounted on the same stone. There is a shrine dedicated to Saraswathi in this temple and it has carved columns.

Architecture

This temple architecture was planned by the great architect Amara Shilpi Jakanachari. The Badami Chalukyas were exponents of early architectural achievements in Deccan. Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal were their centers of art. They were succeeded by the Rashtrakutas and the Kalyani Chalukyas.
The temple has ornate pillars with intricate sculpture. The sanctum enshrines three Shivalingams. The temple has chiseled stone screens and carved figurines. There is a shrine to Saraswati within the Trikuteshwara temple complex, with exquisite stone columns.
Inclined slabs that serve as balcony seats are decorated with figurative panels and are overhung by steeply angled eaves. Inside the hall, the columns have figures arranged in shallow niches. The east sanctorum has three lingas representing Brahma, Maheshwara and Vishnu; the one to the south is dedicated to the goddess Saraswati.
Just by the side is another temple dedicated to three devis — Saraswathi, Gayathri and Sharada. Only the statues are in a new style; the temple is in old architecture.

History

The temple dates back to the Kalyani Chalukyas who ruled this region from around 1050 to 1200 CE, during which time about 50 temples were built.
Saraswathi temple has been vandalised by miscreants in the early age and hence pooja is not offered here. But the architecture is superb.

A number of late Chalukya monuments (11th-12th centuries) in the city indicate its historic past. Other temples in Gadag are those dedicated to Someshwara and Veera Narayana. In the middle of the city stands the Someshvara Temple. Though abandoned and now in a dilapidated state, its intricate carvings are fairly well preserved. The doorways to the hall have densely carved figures and foliation.

 

Tripurantaka Temple, Balligavi, Karnataka

The Tripurantaka Temple (also called Tripurantakesvara or Tripurantakeshwara) was built around c. 1070 CE   by the Western Chalukyas. This temple, which is in a dilapidated state, is in the historically important town of Balligavi (also called Balagamve), modern Shimoga district, Karnataka state, India. The exterior walls of the temple have erotic sculptures on friezes. These depictions are considered rare in Chalukyan art. Being miniature in size, these are visible only upon close examination.  During medieval times, Balligavi was a seat of learning to multiple religious faiths and was home to many monuments and structures built by the Chalukyas.  More than 80 medieval inscriptions have been discovered in Balligavi and belong to the Shaiva, Vaishnava, Jain and Buddhist faiths. These inscriptions describe, among other things, the building of temples.

Other sculptures

This temple is noted for its decorative windows and screens which comprise of very intricate perforated stone work. The two sides of the doorway to the shrine have a window panels, each filled entirely by three pairs of nāga figures (snake). The long intertwined and knotted bodies of these nagas create a virtual mesh to fill up the panels Above the entrance to the shrine is a decorative architrave with sculptures of the Hindu Gods Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, with Shiva being depicted in his Bhairava form. Other figures here are the dikpalas (the guardians). Some interesting larger sized figure sculptures exist, such as the sculpture of a Hoysala king slaying a lion. This piece of sculpture comes with its own inscription and depicts a hunting expedition in which the king, in the company of his hunting dogs, speared and killed a wild boar. Also depicted is the king on foot, fighting a lion which sprang out of the forest 

An interesting piece of sculpture near the temple in the town centre is the Ganda-Bherunda Stambha ("column of two-headed bird"). The column on which the sculpture stands is about 30 feet (9 m) tall and the shaft is about 15 inches (38 cm) in diameter. The top of the column has an octagonal capital surmounted by a broad slab of stone. Upon this is mounted the statue of the mythical two-headed bird Ganda-Bherunda, which, according to legend was an enemy of elephants and fed on their flesh The statue has the body of a human standing upright with two bird like heads, looking in oppostite directions. In its hands, it holds the prey that it feeds on. An inscription at the base of the column describes its erection in 1047 CE by Chamundaraya Arasa of the Kadamba Dynasty of Banavasi. Legend has it that the column may have been erected to scare away marauding elephants from local plantations

 

Turuvekere Temple, Karnataka

Turuvekere is a panchayat town in Tumkur district in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Turuvekere is located at 13.16°N 76.67°E,^[1] about 12 km, South of the Banasandra railway station. It has an average elevation of 794 metres (2604 feet).
 History
Turuvekere was once an “Agrahara' or ‘Rent-Free Village' granted to scholarly Brahmins in the 13th century A.D

Temples

         Turuvekere is home to a number of Hoysala temples, including the Temple of Channakeshava, built by Mahadandanayaka Somanna, the Gangadhareshwara Temple, Chennigaraya Swamy Temple, Moole Shankareshwara Temple, and the largest, Beterayaswamy Temple.

The lord sri Kanchiraaya Swamy temple is located on top of a hill near Neeragunda and Ajjenahalli villages. This place is 12 km from Kibbanahalli cross and 4 km from Aralaguppe.

Notable people

 Veda. Brahma. Turuvekere Subrahmanya Vishweshwara Dikshith also known as Sri. T. S. Vishweshwara Dikshith was born in Turuvekere, to the revered Deekshithara family on Brahmins Street (Beedi) and was the Sanskrit professor in Maharaja Sanskrit College in the Royal Kingdom of Mysore residing in Mysore. He was also the Aasthana Vidwan of Alankaara Shasthra of King Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur.

Veda Brahma. T. S. Vishweshwara Dikshith is the composer of world famous Sree Srikanteshwara Suprabhata Stotram of Lord. Srikanteshwara of Nanjangud. Sri. T. S. Vishweshwara Dikshith was a learned Sanskrit scholar in several Vedas (Yajur Veda in particular) and specialised in Ghana Krama - which is the essence of the Vedas. He also composed the Sree Sharada Suprabhata and Sree Chandramoulishwara Suprabhata of Sri Sharada temple, Shringeri and Sri Chandramoulishwara temple in V. V. Mohalla, Mysore respectively. He was a Ghana Pati and had mastered several Shastras such as Alankara Shastra, Jyothishya Shastra (Astrology), Tarka, and Vyakarana (Literature) to name a few. He received several awards and accolodates from the Maharaja of Mysore, their holiness the pointiffs' of Sringeri Sharada Peetham and Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam respectively for contributions made to Sanskrit Literature

 

The Veera Narayana temple is located in Belavadi (Kannada: ಬೆಳವಾಡಿ), a village in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka state, India. The temple was built during the rule of the Hoysala Empire. Known to legend as Ekachakranagara, Belavadi is said to be the place mentioned in Mahabharatha where Pandava prince Bheema killed the demon Bakasura and protected the village and its people. Belavadi is 29 km southeast of Chikmagalur town on the Chikmagalur-Javagal highway. It is a short distance from the famous temple towns of Belur and Halebidu, and a visit to this town is a rewarding experience.

Architecture

This ornate trikuta (three shrined) temple was built in 1200 C.E. by Hoysala Empire King Veera Ballala II. The material used is Soapstone.^[1] Each of the three shrines has a complete superstructure (tower on top of shrine) and is one of the largest temples built by the Hoysala kings. While the famous temples at Belur and Halebidu are known for their intricate sculptures, this temple is known for its architecture.
The plan of the temple is unique in that two of the shrines face each other and are located on either side of a wide and spacious open mantapa (hall) containing thirty seven bays.  The temple complex has two closed mantapas, one with thirteen bays and another with nine bays, at the end of which is a central shrine. This third shrine is an older construction and exhibits a standard architectural idiom containing all the basic elements of a Hoysala temple.  The inner walls of the older shrine are plain, but its roof is well decorated. In all, the temple complex has fifty nine bays (hence it has many pillars), most of which are lathe-turned and bell shaped,  while a few have decorative carvings on them. According to Foekema, the outer wall of the temple is of the "old style", with one eaves running around the temple where the superstructure meets the wall of the shrine. Below this are miniature decorative towers on pilasters (aedicule). A panel of Hindu deities and their attendants (frieze) are below these miniature towers followed by a set of five moldings that form the base of the wall
The two newer shrines have different plans. One shrine is square in shape while the other is star shaped (stellate). The tower of the shrine has an apex called the kalasha (decorative water-pot like structure) below which are three tiers of decorated miniature roofs.  The superstructure over each of three shrines is connected to a low protrusion tower called Sukanasi (tower over the vestibule, called "nose" of the main tower)  The Sukanasi consist of two tiers of decorated miniature roofs. In all other aspects the two shrines are identical. All shrines have sculptured decoration on the towers, and the sculptures on the walls are bold and are visible from a distance However, they are not sharp and impressive from close quarters unlike in other Hoysala temples. The important sculptures with fine finish are that of the Hindu god Krishna dancing on the head of Kalia the serpent, and the Garuda (eagle).
This is a Vaishnava temple and all three shrines have images of the Hindu god Vishnu, though in different forms (avatar). The central shrine (older shrine) has an 8 ft (2.4 m) tall image of Narayana with four hands and is considered one of the best examples of Hoysala art. It is well elaborated with ornamentation and stands on a padmasana (lotus seat). The southern shrine has an 8 ft (2.4 m) tall image of Venugopala (the god Krishna playing a flute) including a garuda pedestal and the northern shrine has a 7 ft (2.1 m) tall image of Yoganarasimha, sitting in a yoga posture. Decorative sculptures such as kirtimukhas (gargoyles) are used to make the shrine (vimana) towers ornate

 

Vijayanarayana Temple, Gundlupet, Karnataka

The Vijayanarayana Temple is located in the town of Gundlupet of Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka state, India. The temple dates back to the 10th century rule of the Western Ganga Dynasty, though it has received continuous patronage from later kingdoms as well, up to the 15th century Vijayanagara period. Tradition has it that the Hoysala Empire King Vishnuvardhana was responsible for the consecration of the deity Vijayanarayana, a version of the Hindu god Narayana (or Vishnu).

Temple plan

The temple consists of a sanctum (garbhagriha), a vestibule (called sukhanasi) that connects the sanctum to the navaranga (closed hall where devotees gather for prayers) and an open hall (mandapa).  The base on which the walls of the navaranga are built (called adhisthana) has the several moldings. The walls that rise from this have slender decorative pilasters. The open mantapa that has several ornate pillars appears to have modified the original north-south entrances that existed in the navaranga (also called mukhamantapa). The entrance to temple has an impressive row of yali pillars that depict warriors riding lions. The temple has numerous independent sculptures including Anantha, Garuda, and Hanuman, the monkey god from the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Tourist places

• Gopalaswamy Betta is at distance of 20 Kilometre from Gundlupete town famous for its Gopalaswamy Temple on hill.

How to reach

This small town is about 56 km from the Mysore-Ooty / Mysore-Calicut NH 212 highway and about 200 km from Bangalore, the state capital. Gundlupet is the last town in Karnataka en route to Ooty, Wayanad, Kozhikode. National Highway -67 ( NH-67 ) starts from Gundlupete and ends in Nagapattinam in Tamilnadu via Ooty and Coimbatore.
The Bandipur National Park Forest Office is 16 km from Gundlupet. The town is also known for the historical Vijayanarayana temple.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )