Somnathpura
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Dear friends I had been at Somanathpura in 2009, this place is just 27 KM away from the Mysore. For reaching upto there you have to go via Bannur. This is Hoysala dynasty art. The Sri Somnath Temple (situated on the left bank of the Cauvery river) here is known for its Hoysala architecture. Built in 1268 A.D. by Somanatha Dandanayaka, an illustries general of the Hoysala King Narasimha II, and named after him. The temple is seated on a star-shaped base, set on a chiseled plinth and guarded at intervals by miniature elephants. The temple walls depict scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata and the life and times of the Hoysala Kings.
The Kesava temple is a fantastic piece of art. It consists of three identical shrines built on a raised platform - with a common entrance chamber in an enclosed courtyard.
The main shrine is dedicated to Kesava; however there is no image of worship now. The other shrines are dedicated to Janardhana and Venugopala.
These shrines are only about 30 feet in height. Yet they are covered profusely with ornate sculpture of the highest order, as seen in the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu, with themes from the Indian epics, nature and so on.
An open corridor runs around the circumambulatory path and it has sixty four cells, meant for housing images of divinities (as in the kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram). These cells are now bereft of images. The ceilings and door jambs leading to the sanctum sanctorium are exquisitely carved. There are inscriptions engraved on a slab standing at the entrance, inside the temple, dated from 1269 to 1550 A.D. that details the construction of the temple and grants made to it.
The lathe turned pillars and delicately carved 16 different types of ceilings are the characteristic feature of the Hoysala art. Few of them are as below
The lathe turned pillars and delicately carved 16 different types of ceilings are the characteristic feature of the Hoysala art. Few of them are as below
Few attractive carvings on the outer wall are as below
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