Holy Pilgrimage – Karnataka State –(Bhoganandiswara group of temples, Bhutanatha group of temples, Chamundeshwari Temple and Chandramouleshwara Temple, Unkal ) -6 at 10:26 PM

Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Karnataka State

Bhoganandishwara Group of Temples, Nandi Hills (Chikkaballapura Dist)

The Bhoganandiswara group of temples are located in Chikkaballapura dist. Many historic temples are situated in and near this town. Nandi Hills or Nandi Durga is located in Chikballapur taluk and is just 5 km (3.1 mi) away.

Transportation

The town of Chikkaballapura is approximately 56 km north of Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), the silicon plateau of India. Chikkaballapura has a high elevation located in the center of the Nandi Hills region. "Panchagiri" is a common descriptor of Chikkaballapura as it is surrounded by 5 picturesque hills among which Nandi Hills is the famous one (The five hills are known as Nandi Giri, Chandra Giri, Skandagiri, Brahma Giri, and Hema Giri). The Kalavara Halli hill Kalavaara betta, is becoming famous because of the trecking involved to reach the top of the hill. The north-south Six-lane National Highway NH-7 as well as the East-West State Highway 58 goes through the city. The city is also a transportation hub comprising a new major bus terminus and train station headquarters. It is well connected to important towns by the state run buses as well as private taxis and autos. The nearest airport is at Bengaluru International Airport at a distance of 20 kilometers.

Places to visit

Nandi Hills is situated nearby and within the jurisdiction of Chikkaballapura district. The nearby region of Muddenahalli-Kanivenarayanapura is the birthplace of legendary engineer Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya. HOSUR The Birth Place of Dr. H. Narasimhahiah, Great Educationalist and Thinker. Many historic temples are situated in and near Chikkaballapura. 

 

Bhutanatha group of temples, Badami

The Bhutanatha group of temples is a cluster of sandstone shrines dedicated to the deity Bhutanatha, in Badami town of Karnataka state, India. There are two major temples here. Temple No.1, on the east side of the lake, called the Bhutanatha temple has a superstructure that resembles early South Indian style or North Indian style with its open mantapa (hall or Veranda) extending into the lake, while the smaller Temple No.2 on the north-east side of the lake, sometimes called Mallikarjuna group of temples, has a stepped superstructure, commonly found in Kalyani Chalukya constructions.  The inner shrine and mantapa (hall) of Temple No.1 were constructed in the late 7th century during the reign of the Badami Chalukyas while the outer mantapa, facing the Badami tank, was completed during the rule of the Kalyani Chalukyas of the 11th century. Hence the Bhutanatha temples contain architectural forms from different periods.  Studies show that these Kalyani Chalukya architects could have belonged to the same early phase workshop that later built the nearby Yellamma temple and the Mallikarjuna temple group.
Temple plan
In the inner hall of the Bhutanatha temple, a heavy architrave above the columns divides the hall into a central nave and two aisles. The pillars are massive and the bays in the ceiling of the nave is decorated with lotus rosette. Perforated windows bring dim light into the inner mantapa  On either side of the foot of the shrine doorway is an image, that of goddess Ganga on her vehicle, the makara, on the right, and on the left, that of goddesses Yamuna riding the tortoise. There is no dedicatory block upon the lintel to indicate to which deity the initial dedication was for. The Shiva linga in the shrine appears to be a later addition after the original deity in the sanctum was removed
The temple is unfinished and at the base of the superstructure (Sikhara) are vestiges of Jain architecture. The image niches on the wall of the shrine and the hall are now empty though some decorative elements like makharas (mythical beast) with long tails still remain.^[6] To the north of the hall is a small shrine which was originally consecrated for Vishnu. Following later Jain modifications, the temple was eventually taken over by the followers of Lingayatism who built an outer hall and installed a Nandi (vehicle of Shiva), and a Shiva linga inside the sanctum.
The Mallikarjuna group exhibits topological features popularised by the Kalyani Chalukya architects, including plain walls, angled eaves over the open mantapa (hall) and pyramid shaped superstructures made of closely spaced horizontal tiers

Transport

The nearest airport is Belgaum about 150 kilometers away. It is on the Hubli - Sholapur rail route, and the rail station is 5 kilometers from the town. It is also connected by road to Hubli and Bijapur. Badami is reachable from Bengalooru by a 12-hour bus ride, or by a direct train "Bijapur Express (train no. 6535 and 6535A)" or with a combination of an overnight train journey from Bangalore to Hospet followed by a short bus ride from Hospet to Badami. Another train journey could be from Bangalore to Hubli (8–9 hours) and then a bus ride to Badami (3 hours). Badami is around 130 km from Hubli. Local transport is by Rickshaws, tongas and city buses.
Badami is around 150 km from Hospet which has a decent motorable road. A car journey would take around 4 hours from Hospet to Badami.

Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysore, Karnataka

 

The Chamundeshwari Temple (ಶ್ರೀ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ) is located on the top of Chamundi Hills about 13 km from the palace city of Mysore in the state of Karnataka in India.  The temple was named after Chamundeshwari or Durga, the fierce form of Shakti, a tutelary deity held in reverence for centuries by Mysore Maharajas.

Description

The original shrine is thought to have been built in the 12th century by Hoysala rulers while its tower was probably built by the Vijayanagar rulers of the 17th century. In 1659, a flight of one thousand steps was built leading up to the 3000 foot summit of the hill  At the temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva). There is a huge granite Nandi on the 800th step on the hill in front of a small Shiva temple a short distance away. This Nandi is over 15 feet high, and 24 feet long and around its neck are exquisite bells. 
The temple has a seven storey tall Gopura decorated with intricate carvings. The deity of the goddess is said to be made of gold and the temple doors of silver
The male trinity of Hindu theology is complemented by the female trinity represented by Mahalakshmi, Parvathi and Saraswathi. The trinity are the Goddesses of wealth, strength and knowledge respectively. While all of them symbolise the mother figure in their own way in caring for their devotees, it is principally Parvathi who is most worshipped as the mother or Amba as she is known. Parvathi's various incarnations were primarily to underline her prowess against evil which affected the lives of her devotees. She appeared in the world in various forms of beneficence as Kamakshi, Meenakshi and Visalakshi. Being the consort of Lord Shiva, she was also known by the name Eswari. One such form is that of Chamundeeswari. The Goddess in this form graces the small hill shrine in Mysore

The legend of Chamundeeswari - how the Goddess got that name is recounted in Markandeya Purana. Long ago, there were two Asura brothers called Sumban and Nisumban. By performing rigorous penance they had acquired rare boons bestowing strength and power on their evil selves. They became a source of great harassment to the Devas. Hindu lore is replete with such instances where the evil are blessed with boons of power in recognition of their penance and devotion. But when they put the power of their boons to wicked use, the wrath of God descends on them and ends their atrocity. The stories of Hiranya, Mahishasura are instances in point.

Coming back to the Markandeya Purana, the devas prayed to Parvathi for a solution. Hearing the pleas of the devas, a beautiful form emerged from Parvathi and went forth towards the Asuras. When the Asuras beheld the surpassingly beautiful form, they were smitten and wanted to marry the beautiful maiden. When certain Asura emissaries approached the maiden with the suit of their kings, the maiden replied that she would only wed the man who defeated her in battle. Amused by this, the asura kings sent Dumralochanan to entice the maiden with promises of a luxurious life, but all the attempts of Dumralochanan bit the dust and he was reduced to ashes. The Asura kings then despatched Sandan and Mundan. This enraged the maiden who was none other than Parvathi herself and from her forehead emerged Kali. A fierce battle raged between Kali and Sandan and Mundan. Finally, Kali exterminated the two Asuras and was named by the devas as Samundeeswari, the one who slew Sandan and Mundan.

The first thing that one can see as the train pulls into Mysore is the hill with the temple that looms in the eastern direction. This is the Chamundi hill, which has become the foremost landmark in a city that is dotted with tourist attractions. The drive up the Chamundi hill takes about 15 minutes. The hill is just 1000 metres high and at the summit abides the mother. What strikes the eye as you reach the top is the massive statue of Mahishasura with a snake in one hand and a dagger in the other. Mahishan was a demon who was destroyed by Parvathi who is known as Mahishasuramardhini. The Chamundi temple was renovated in the year 1827 by Krishna Raja Wodeyar III. She was the presiding deity of the Wodeyar kings. The Wodeyar kings did a lot to decorate the deity with gold ornaments, a golden lion throne, and gold armour. The goddess also dons a necklace of star shapes inscribed with some divine slokas in Sanskrit.

The ambience in the temple is very unique. It is said that the Muslim kings of Mysore Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan were devotees of Chamundeeswari whose sincere worship works miracles in peoples' lives. On the way down, one can see a small Shiva temple in front of which is the famous 16-foot granite Nandi or Holy bull with exquisite bells around its neck. There is a deep cave near here. A visit to Chamundi hill to pray to Goddess Sree Chamundeeswari is bound to bring good to the devotee

There are two other temples dedicated to Lakshmi Narayana Swamy and Mahabaleswara. Sri Mahabaleswara temple - dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Linga, is the oldest temple on the hill. It was built before the beginning of the Hoysala rule. Epigraphical evidences indicate this area as Mabhala or Mabbala theertha and states that Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana has given donations to this temple in 1128 A.D.

The Mahishasura Statue - built in 1659 by Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar and Rajendra Vilas palace - used to be a popular hotel earlier are few other attractions on the hill.

A panoramic view of the city is seen from the top of the Chamundi hills. Among other landmarks, you can see the race course, the Lalitha Mahal palace, Mysore Palace, Karanji and Kukkarahalli lakes. At dusk, the view of the city is especially beautiful, and on Sunday evenings and during the Mysore Dasara, the illuminated Mysore Palace glitters like gold !

Chamundeshwari Temple Pooja Timings

07.30 am - 02.00 pm
03.30 pm - 06.00 pm
07.30 pm - 09.00 pm

Chamundeshwari Temple Entry

Free Entrance

Mysore to Chamundi Temple Distance

Chamundeshwari Temple is 13 kms by road

How to Reach Chamundeshwari Temple

Chamundi temple is well connected by road.
Mysore City Buses ply regularly from Mysore City.
You can reach the temple by 1000 odd steps from the foot of Chamundi Hills.

 

Mysore

Mysore   Maisūru in Kannada) is the second-largest city in the state of Karnataka, India. Located at the base of the Chamundi Hills about 146 km (91 mi) southwest of the state capital Bangalore, it is spread across an area of 128.42 km² (50 sq mi). According to the provisional results of the 2011 national census of India, the population of Mysore is 887,446 and Hinduism is its major religion. Mysore City Corporation is responsible for the civic administration of the city, which is also the headquarters of the Mysore district and the Mysore division.
Until 1947, Mysore served as the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore. The kingdom was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty, except for a brief period in the late 18th century when Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan usurped power. Patrons of art and culture, the Wodeyars contributed significantly to the cultural growth of the city. The cultural ambience and achievements of Mysore earned it the sobriquet Cultural capital of Karnataka.
Mysore is noted for its palaces, including the Mysore Palace, and for the festivities that take place during the Dasara festival when the city receives a large number of tourists. It lends its name to the Mysore style of painting, the sweet dish Mysore Pak, the Mysore Peta (a traditional silk turban) and the garment known as the Mysore silk saree. Tourism is the major industry, while information technology has emerged as a major employer alongside the traditional industries.Mysore Airport also known as Mandakalli Airport is an airport serving the city of Mysore, Mysore depends on rail and bus transport for inter-city connections. The city was the location of the first private radio station in India. Mysore houses Mysore University, which has produced several notable authors, particularly in the field of Kannada literature. Cricket is the most popular sport in the city

Etymology

The name Mysore is an anglicised version of Mahishūru  which means the abode of Mahisha in the Kannada language. Mahisha stands for Mahishasura, a mythological demon that could assume the form of both human and buffalo. According to Hindu mythology, the area was ruled by the demon Mahishasura.  The demon was killed by the Goddess Chamundeshwari, whose temple is situated atop the Chamundi Hills. Mahishūru later became Mahisūru and finally came to be called Maisūru, its present name in the Kannada language.  In December 2005, the Government of Karnataka announced its intention to change the English name of the city to Mysuru. This has been approved by the Government of India, but as of 2011 the formalities necessary to incorporate the name change were yet to be completed.
The site where Mysore Palace now stands was occupied by a village named Puragere at the beginning of the 16th century.^[8]:281 The Mahishūru Fort was constructed in 1524 by Chamaraja Wodeyar III (1513–1553),^[8]:257 who passed on the dominion of Puragere to his son Chamaraja Wodeyar IV (1572–1576). Since the 16th century, the name of Mahishūru has commonly been used to denote the city.^[9]:31 The Mysore Kingdom, governed by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire. With the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire after the Battle of Talikota in 1565, the Mysore Kingdom gradually achieved independence, and by the time of King Narasaraja Wodeyar (1637) it had become a sovereign state.^[10]:228 Seringapatam (modern-day Srirangapatna), near Mysore, was the capital of the kingdom from 1610.^[8]:257 The 17th century saw a steady expansion of its territory and, under Narasaraja Wodeyar I and Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar, the kingdom annexed large expanses of what is now southern Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu, to become a powerful state in the southern Deccan.
History
The kingdom reached the height of its military power and dominion in the latter half of the 18th century under the de facto rulers Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan. The latter demolished parts of Mysore to remove legacies of the Wodeyar dynasty. ^:  During this time, Mysore kingdom came into conflict with the Marathas, the British and the Nizam of Golconda, leading to the four Anglo-Mysore wars, success in the first two of which was followed by defeat in the third and fourth. After Tipu Sultan's death in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, the capital of the kingdom was moved back to Mysore from Seringapatam    and the kingdom was distributed by the British to their allies of the Fourth Mysore war. The landlocked interior of the previous Mysore Kingdom was turned into a princely state under the suzerainty of the British Crown. The former Wodeyar rulers were reinstated as puppet monarchs, now styled Maharajas. The British administration was assisted locally by Diwan (chief minister) Purnaiah. Purnaiah is credited with improving Mysore's public works.^[10]:249 Mysore lost its status as the administrative centre of the kingdom in 1831, when the British commissioner moved the capital to Bangalore.^[10]:251 It regained that status in 1881  and remained the capital of the Princely State of Mysore within the British Indian Empire until India became independent in 1947.
The Mysore municipality was established in 1888 and the city was divided into eight wards.  In 1897 an outbreak of bubonic plague killed nearly half of the population of the city.  With the establishment of the City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) in 1903, Mysore became one of the first cities in Asia to undertake planned development of the city.  Public demonstrations and meetings were held there during the Quit India movement and other phases of the Indian independence movement.
After Indian independence, Mysore city remained as part of the Mysore State, now known as Karnataka. Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, then king of Mysore, was allowed to retain his titles and was nominated as the Rajapramukh (appointed governor) of the state. He died in September 1974 and was cremated in Mysore city  Over the years, Mysore became well known as a centre for tourism; the city remained largely peaceful, except for occasional riots related to the Kaveri river water dispute.^[15] Among the events that took place in Mysore and made national headlines were a fire at a television studio that claimed 62 lives in 1989, and the sudden deaths of many animals at the Mysore Zoo.

Culture

Referred to as the cultural capital of Karnataka,  Mysore is well known for the festivities that take place during the period of Dasara, the state festival of Karnataka. The Dasara festivities, which are celebrated over a ten-day period, were first introduced by King Raja Wodeyar I in 1610.  On the ninth day of Dasara, called Mahanavami, the royal sword is worshipped and is taken on a procession of decorated elephants, camels and horses.^[63] On the tenth day, called Vijayadashami, the traditional Dasara procession (locally known as Jumboo Savari) is held on the streets of Mysore. An image of the Goddess Chamundeshwari is placed on a golden mantapa on the back of a decorated elephant and taken on a procession, accompanied by tableaux, dance groups, music bands, decorated elephants, horses and camels   The procession starts from the Mysore Palace and culminates at a place called Bannimantapa, where the banni tree (Prosopis spicigera) is worshipped.   The Dasara festivities culminate on the night of Vijayadashami with a torchlight parade, known locally as Panjina Kavayatthu.

Mysore is called the City of Palaces because of several ornate examples in the city. Among the most notable are Amba Vilas, popularly known as Mysore Palace; Jaganmohana Palace, which also serves as an art gallery; Rajendra Vilas, also known as the summer palace; Lalitha Mahal, which has been converted into a hotel; and Jayalakshmi Vilas.  The main palace of Mysore was burned down in 1897, and the present-day structure was built on the same site. Amba Vilas palace exhibits an Indo-Saracenic style of architecture on the outside, but a distinctly Hoysala style in the interior.  Even though the Government of Karnataka maintains the Mysore palace, a small portion has been allocated for the erstwhile Royal family to live in. The Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion was constructed by Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar for his daughter Jayalakshammanni. It is now a museum dedicated to folk culture and artifacts of the royal family.
The Mysore painting style is an offshoot of the Vijayanagar school of painting, and King Raja Wodeyar (1578–1617 CE) is credited with having been its patron.  The distinctive feature of these paintings is the gesso work, to which gold foil is applied.  Mysore is known for rosewood inlay work; around 4,000 craftsmen were estimated to be involved in this art in 2002  The city lends its name to the Mysore silk saree, a women's garment made with pure silk and gold zari (thread).  Mysore Peta, the traditional indigenous turban worn by the erstwhile rulers of Mysore, is worn by men in some traditional ceremonies. A notable local dessert that traces its history to the kitchen of the Mysore palace is Mysore pak.
Mysore is the location of the International Ganjifa Research Centre, which researches the ancient card game Ganjifa and the art associated with it. The Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA) offers education in visual art forms such as painting, graphics, sculpture, applied art, photography, photojournalism and art history. The Rangayana repertory company performs plays and offers certificate courses in subjects related to theatre. annada writers Kuvempu, Gopalakrishna Adiga and U. R. Ananthamurthy were educated in Mysore and served as professors at the Mysore University.  R. K. Narayan, a popular English-language novelist and creator of the fictional town of Malgudi, and his cartoonist brother R. K. Laxman spent much of their life in Mysore

Wadiyar dynasty

The Wadiyar dynasty was an Indian Hindu dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947, until the independence of India from British rule and the subsequent unification of the Indian dominion and princely states into the Republic of IndiaTransport to Mysore.

Name

The word "Wadiyar" is pronounced to start with a vowel sound and not with a consonant. Odeyar (ಒಡೆಯರ್‌) in Kannada and means the king or the owner.

History

The dynasty was established by Vijaya. Vijaya took on the name and ruled Mysore, then a small town, from 1399 CE to 1423 CE. The Mysore kingdom was ruled by a succession of Wadiyar rulers for the next couple of centuries. However, the kingdom remained fairly small during this early period and was a part of the Vijayanagara Empire. Later, after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565, the Kingdom of Mysore became independent and remained so until 1799. The Kingdom of Mysore came under the British during the reign of King Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (1799–1868). His successors changed the English spelling of their royal name to Wadiyar, and took the title of Bahadur. The last two monarchs also accepted the British decoration G.B.E.

Expansion

The Vijayanagara Empire disintegrated in 1565. The power vacuum created soon after was utilized by Raja Wadiyar, who ruled Mysore from 1578 to 1617. He expanded the borders of the Mysore kingdom and also shifted the capital from the city of Mysore in 1610 to Srirangapatna, a rare island formed by the river Cauvery, which provided natural protection against military attacks.
Subsequent famous rulers of the dynasty include Kanthirava Narasaraja I (ruled 1638–1659) who expanded the frontiers of the Mysore Kingdom to Trichy in Tamil Nadu. The dynasty reached its peak under Chikka Devaraja (ruled 1673–1704), who widely reformed the administration of the empire by dividing it into 18 departments (called Chavadis) and also introduced a coherent system of taxation.
From 1760 to 1799, the rule of the dynasty was essentially nominal, with real power in the hands of the successive dalwai, or commanders-in-chief, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, who expanded the kingdom aggressively, but clashed with the East India Company. After Tipu Sultan was killed when the British stormed Seringapatam in 1799, the Wadiyars were restored to a reduced kingdom.

British Rule    

 

Gold pagoda of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (1799-1868). The coin depicts Siva seated, holding his attributes of a trident and a deer, with his consort Parvati seated on his lap. The reverse reads: Sri Krishnaraja

After restoring the Wadiyars to the throne of Mysore the British shifted the capital back to the city of Mysore from Srirangapatna. The four year old boy (Mummudi) Krishna Raja Wadiyar III, son of the last Wadiyar King Khasa Chamaraja Wadiyar VIII, was anointed as the King of Mysore. Wadiyars were now subsidiaries of the British Raj and had to pay annual subsidy to the British. However British took over the administration of the Kingdom on a specious plea of non-payment of subsidy amount from Mummudi Krishna Raja Wadiyar in 1831 and British appointed commissioners were in charge of the Kingdom.
British Commissioners administered Mysore from 1831 to 1881. Mark Cubbon (1834–1861) and L. B. Bowring (1861–1870) are among the well-known Commissioners of the period.
But in 1868, the British Parliament upheld the King's plea and decided to restore the Kingdom back to his adopted son Chamaraja Wadiyar IX. In 1881, transfer of power back to the Wadiyars heralded an important phase in the making of modern Mysore. For the first time in India, democratic experiments were introduced by the constitution of the representative assembly. His son Nalvadi Krishna Raja Wadiyar earned great fame as a saintly King-Rajarishi and his Kingdom was hailed as Ramarajya by Mahatma Gandhi; an ideal kingdom comparable to the one ruled by the historical hero Lord Rama
Under British hegemony, the Wadiyars, freed from security concerns, shifted attention to the patronage of the fine arts. Under their patronage, Mysore became a cultural centre of Karnataka, fostering a number of famous musicians, writers and painters.
The last king of the Wadiyar dynasty was Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, who ruled from 1940 until Indian independence from British rule. In the year 1947, after India attained independence, he acceded his Kingdom to the dominion of India, but continued as the Maharaja until India became a Republic in 1950. He became the Raja Pramukh—a constitutional position—as the head of Mysore State within the Republic of India from 1950-1956. After the re-organization of Indian States on linguistic basis, he was appointed as the Governor of the integrated Mysore State (present Karnataka state) in 1956, which post he held until 1964. After that he was Governor of Madras state (now Tamil Nadu) for two years. But the Indian Constitution continued to recognize him as the Maharaja of Mysore until 1971, when Mrs. Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India abolished the titles and Privy Purse of well over 560 Maharajas spread over different parts of India. The Maharaja died in 1974. His only son Srikanta Datta Narasimha Raja Wadiyar (b. 1953) was a member of the Indian Parliament for many years.

Wadiyar Rulers of Mysore

• Yaduraya (1399–1423)
• Hiriya Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar I (1423–1459)
• Thimmaraja Wadiyar I (1459–1478)
• Hiriya Chamaraja Wadiyar II (1478–1513)
• Hiriya bettada Chamaraja III Wadiyar (1513–1553)
• Thimmaraja Wadiyar II (1553–1572)
• Bola Chamaraja Wadiyar IV (1572–1576)
• Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar V(1576–1578)^[1]
• Raja Wadiyar I (1578–1617)
• Chamaraja Wadiyar VI (1617–1637).
• Raja Wadiyar II (1637–1638)
• (Ranadhira Kantheerava) Narasaraja Wadiyar I (1638–1659)
• Dodda Devaraja Wadiyar (1659–1673)
• Chikka Devaraja Wadiyar (1673–1704)
• Narasaraja Wodeyar II (1704–1714)
• Dodda Krishnaraja Wodeyar I (1714–1732)
• Chamaraja Wadiyar VII (1732–1734)
• (Immadi) Krishnaraja Wadiyar II (1734–1766)
• Nanajaraja Wadiyar (1766–1770)
• Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar VIII(1770–1776)
• Khasa Chamaraja Wadiyar IX (1766–1796)
• Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (1799–1868)
• Chamarajendra Wadiyar X (1868–1894)
• Vani Vilas Sannidhana, queen of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, was Regent from 1894–1902.
• Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (1894–1940)
• Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1940–1950)
• Rajpramukh of Mysore state, (1950–1956)
• Governor of Mysore state (present-day Karnataka), (1956–1964)
• Governor of Madras State (present-day Tamil Nadu), (1964–1966)
• De-recognized as Maharaja of Mysore by the 26th Amendment to the constitution in 1971.
• Died on 23-9-1974.
• Srikanta Wadiyar, (b-1953, ascended the throne in 1974- though a private affair)

 

Curse on Wadiyars

The Mysore kingdom, founded by Yaduraya in the year 1399, consisted of only the areas surrounding the Present Mysore City. In fact, the original fort was supposed to have been at a place known as haDadana — an extant small village on the southern side of Chamundi Hill. Wadiyars, like all others at that time, were under the suzerainty of the Vijayanagar Empire. The viceroy of the Vijayanagar kingdom was headquartered at Srirangapatna. Wadiyars after Yaduraya slowly and steadily increased their influence and territory over the next 200 years. Raja Wadiyar the ninth ruler of the dynasty was a remarkable man known for his valor and patronage of art and culture. He ruled from 1578 to 1617. In 1610, he conquered the fort of Srirangapatna from Tirumala, the then Viceroy of Vijayanagar. Tirumala is said to have retired to Talakad along with his two wives. One of them Alamelamma was known to be a staunch devotee of Sri Ranganayaki — consort of Sri Ranganatha the presiding deity of the famous Adi-Ranga temple in the island fortress of Srirangapatna.
Tirumala was afflicted with a deadly disease on his back which was known as the disease of the kings. But the condition of Srirangaraya deteriorated and he died. Alamelamma had large amount of precious jewellery. Of them was a fine nose ring studded with a big pearl. As Alamelamma was a widow, she had no use of these jewels . Since she was known to be a staunch devotee of Sri Ranganayaki, every Friday and Tuesday, Sri Ranaganayaki was decorated with a big pearl studded nose ring and other precious jewelry. These jewels were in the safe custody of Alamelamma otherwise. Temple authorities requested Raja Wadiyar to provide them with the custody of these jewels as was the practice. Treasury officials informed the king about truth. Raja Wadiyar thought what is the use of these jewels for Alamelamma as she is a widow now and she no longer needs them. Raja Wadiyar sent emissaries to malangi where Alamelamma was staying, with a request to return the jewels. Alamelamma returned only the pearl studded nose ring. Then Raja Wadiyar sent his army to Talakad to request her once again and, if she refused, to get them by force. To escape the wrath of the Mysore Army, Alamelamma uttered the legendary curse on Raja Wadiyar and jumped into the whirlpool in the river Cauvery at Talakadu with the rest of the jewels, and escaped unscathed. The curse which has survived the folklore of last 400 years is:
ತಲಕಾಡು ಮರಳಾಗಲಿ, ಮಾಲಂಗಿ ಮಡುವಾಗಲಿ, ಮೈಸೂರು ದೊರೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಹೋಗಲಿ
Talakadu maralagali, Malangi maduvagali, Mysuru doregalige makkalilllade hogali
May Talakad turn into a barren expanse of sand, May Malangi turn into an unfathomed whirlpool, May the Rajas of Mysore not have children for all time to eternity


Hearing of this step taken by Alamelamma, Raja Wadiyar was repentant. In grief, he had an idol of Alamelamma made in gold, installed it in the palace and worshipped it as a deity. Some remnants of her hair is preserved in a box. To this day, Alamelamma’s idol is in the Mysore Palace. The pearl nose-stud adorns Ranganayaki and Alamelamma today

 

Transport to Mysore

Road

Mysore is connected by National Highway NH-212 to the state border town of Gundlupet, where the road forks into the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. State Highway 17, which connects Mysore to Bangalore, was upgraded to a four-lane highway in 2006, reducing travel time between the two cities A project was planned in 1994 to construct a new expressway to connect Bangalore and Mysore. After numerous legal hurdles, it remains unfinished as of 2012. tate Highways 33 and 88 which connect Mysore to H D Kote and Madikeri respectively. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and other private agencies operate buses both within the city and between cities. A new division of KSRTC called Mysore City Transport Corporation (MCTC) has been proposed. Within the city, buses are cheap and popular means of transport, auto-rickshaws are available, and tongas (horse-drawn carriages) are popular. Mysore also has a 42.5-kilometer (26.4 mi) long ring road that is being upgraded to six lanes by the MUDA.

Rail

Mysore railway station has three lines, connecting it to Bangalore, Hassan and Chamarajanagar. The first railway line established in the city was the Bangalore–Mysore Junction metre gauge line, which was commissioned in 1882. All railway lines that serve the city are single track, impeding faster connections to the city. Though there are plans to double the Bangalore–Mysore track at least, as of 2012 the project is unfinished. ll trains that connect to Mysore are operated by Indian Railways. The fastest train to serve the city is the Shatabdi Express.

Air

Mysore Airport, which was unused for many years, was put back into use in October 2010, when Kingfisher Airlines started a daily service to Bangalore. However, this flight was cancelled in November 2011 because of low profitability, and the airport does not serve any other flights. The nearest functional airport to Mysore is the Bangalore International Airport

Tourism

Mysore is a major tourist destination in its own right and serves as a base for other tourist attractions in the vicinity. The city receives large number of tourists during the 10-day Dasara festival. One of the most visited monuments in India, the Amba Vilas Palace, or Mysore Palace, is the centre of the Dasara festivities The Jaganmohana Palace, the Jayalakshmi Vilas and the Lalitha Mahal are other palaces in the city.  Chamundeshwari Temple, atop the Chamundi Hills, and St. Philomena's Church are notable religious places in Mysore.
The Mysore Zoo, established in 1892,^[ and the Karanji and Kukkarahalli lakes are popular recreational destinations.^[15][114] Mysore has the Regional Museum of Natural History, the Folk Lore Museum, the Railway Museum and the Oriental Research Institute. The city is a centre for yoga-related health tourism that attracts domestic and foreign visitors. Melody World is a museum showcasing wax statues and musical instruments.
A short distance from Mysore city is the Krishnarajasagar Dam and the adjoining Brindavan Gardens, where a musical fountain show is held every evening. Places of historic importance close to Mysore are Srirangapatna, Somanathapura and Talakad.^[15] B R Hills, Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta hill and the hill stations of Ooty, Sultan Battery and Madikeri are close to Mysore. Popular destinations for wildlife enthusiasts near Mysore include the Nagarhole National Park, the wildlife sanctuaries at Melkote and B R Hills and the bird sanctuaries at Ranganathittu and Kokrebellur Bandipur National Park and Mudumalai National Park, which are sanctuaries for gaur, chital, elephants, tigers, Indian leopards and other threatened species, lie between 40 mi (64 km) and 60 mi (97 km) to the south. Other tourist spots near Mysore include the religious locations of Nanjanagud and Bylakuppe and the waterfalls at Shivanasamudra

 

Chandramouleshwara Temple, Unkal, Karnataka

 

Unkal is one of the areas which come under Hubli-Dharwad in North Karnataka, it is on old Pune - Bangalore highway NH4. Chandramouleshwara Temple is very near to Unkal circle and Unkal Lake (on Old NH4 Between Hubli and Dharwad). Exactly opposite to the temple you can locate the very beautiful Nrupatunga Betta. In the backdrop of Betta, the temple looks Very beautiful.

Tourism

Chandramouleshwara Temple at Unkal, Hubballi

Chandramouleshwara Temple at Unkal ( Probably historical name was Unukallu) he Chalukya architectural monument located in the suburbs of Hubbali,^[6] it is one of the good example of the Chalukya Architecture.
Chandramouleshwara the exquisite 900 year old temple, It is no less a marvel when compared any popular tourist destination like the famous Chennakeshava Temple of Belur. The temple was built on the lines of Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal temples. The monument of national importance, declared as protected monument so under the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites (Act (1958)) by Archeological Survey of India (ASI).

Details

• Unlike other Shiva temples in the North Karnataka region, the Chandramouleshwara Temple has four doors in as many directions besides two big Shivalingas.

• The temple has sculpted walls and pillars of black granite stones. Images of dancing Lord Ganesha and jaalandhra at Chandramouleshwara Temple are a visual delight.

The architectural style that developed in this part is known as the Chalukya style. Certainly not solely because of their faith in religion.
Perhaps they wanted to overawe their enemies and subjects with an enormous show of wealth and power, represented by these temples. Or perhaps they wanted to impress their subjects with a show of love for the religion. Or perhaps they wanted to atone for the sins they had committed by killing innumerable innocent people in the bloody wars they fought. The temples were built by teams of architects, artists, sculptors and masons, who remain anonymous.

Inscriptions

The presence of two 12th-century stone inscriptions in Unkal village show that the temple belongs to 11th or 12th century.

Conservation and Restoration of the temple

There is an urgent need of Conservation and Restoration of the Chandramouleshwara temple at Unkal.
The temple primises serves as a playground for children and youngsters to play cricket. It has become a victim of government apathy and urbanization. There is virtually no approach road to this temple, encroachments on all the four sides of the temple. The roads leading to the temple are very small with arrack shops and other illegal trades. One has to cross rows of houses and narrow lanes to reach Chandramauleshwara temple. The local representatives should take interest and also work towards the restoration of this glourious temple which is the one and the only in and around Hubballi-Dharwad.
Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun work very long back, started work on a compound wall to prevent further encroachments, but the work is still half done. Nothing has happened so far in restoring the glory.

 

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

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