Twin Temples of Mosale

To commemorate our Foundation Day of Canadia Trust on December 08, 2012, we planned a one day trip to Mosale - A Hoysala Architecture site. 

Mosale is about 10 km from Hassan. Here two small temples are found lying side by side, equal in design and execution, forming a perfect twin. Both temples are complete, and notably their superstructures show fine sculpture. It was built about 1200 AD and today it is found at the northern edge of the small village, in a nice rural setting. 

Twin temples of Mosale seen from the East end

Pillar design

Nagesvara temple 

Twin temple from the southern end

Twin Temples from the South-Western end

From the South-East corner

Carvings on the wall of the Chennakesava temple

Carvings on the walls of the temples

Both temples are of a simple plan, they consist of a shrine with nose, a closed hall and a porch. The southern one is Saiva and named Nagesvara, the northern one is Vaisnava and named Chennakesava. The temples are identical and aligned, and so it is possible to consider them as dvikuta, as an ensemble with two shrines. Because both shrines have a tower, the pair offers a very fine view. 

Happy kid's face amidst the carvings 

Gopura of the Nagesvara temple

Sculptures on the Chennakesava temple

Sculptures carved on the walls

Carvings on the walls

The shrines are of a simple design, square with three projections per side. Their superstructures are a marvel, because they are complete and because their decoration is so successful. The two beautiful kalasas and the two beautiful Hoysala crests are the most striking, but also all architectural parts below them deserve attention, because the traditional decorations are so fine and undamaged. The same holds for the superstructures of the halls and the porches. These consist of a row of topping miniature roofs above heavy eaves, and are perfectly decorated and preserved. 

The interior of both temples is fine. In the cella of the Nagesvara-temple there is a linga and in the cella of Chennakesava temple there is a cult-image of Kesava. 

One of the pillars inside the Nagesvara temple

Priest and his god

After our temple visit in Mosale, we all headed to the lake at the village entrance and had our packed lunch for the day. TS and Lavanya had got us Puliogre, and we all had a good time at the beautiful lake. And because we had some more time left before we headed back to Bangalore, Dhiraj suggested us to visit Anekere temple. We all readily agreed. Will post photographs of Anekere in my next post. 

Source for the text: A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples by Gerard Foekema

(C) Srikanth Parthasarathy

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