Hoysala temples of Nuggihalli

Nuggihalli is a village 50km from Hassan. The Lakshminarasinha temple found here is a temple completely covered with sculpture. The temple dates from 1246 AD. There is a second temple in the village, called Sadasiva temple, that has no sculptures but is very interesting from the architectural point of view: it is a Hoysala Nagara temple.

North-West view of the Lakshminarasinha Temple, Nuggihalli

The plan of the Laksminarasinha temple is a common one: Three shrines are situated around a common hall, the central one with tower and nose, the lateral ones without tower and without nose. Thus, in the inside, the two lateral cellas are directly connected to the hall, and only the central one has a vestibule forming the connection. Although the plan is a trikuta, only one shrine is easily recognizable, and seen from the outside the temple looks like an ekakuta. 

The spacious compound with a old well and several other mantaps. The new structure seen towards the front of the Lakshminarasinha temple

South-West view of the Lakshminarasinha temple

View of the main gopura through a small mantap

Snail through the gopura

However, only in this temple, modern towers are found topping the lateral shrines. They do not belong there but, nevertheless, they clarify the plan of the temple. 

I absolutely loved the rear view of the temple climbing up the wall. It looks very spacious and beautiful with the sculptures. The wall-images here number about 120 and they mainly show Vaisnava icons, but also a Bhairava and Bhairavi. In the southern half of the temple they are sculptured by a sculptor named Baichoja. His images are beautiful and they all have the same character, a character of dignity and peace. In the northern half of the temple the images are by the hand of another sculptor, Mallitamma. His sculptures are more lively and show more variation in character, but the quality of his work is less constant.

Northern wall of the Lakshminarasinha temple

Panoramic view of the Lakshminarasinha temple. West view.

Inside the temple, especially the four pillars and the ceiling of the hall are beautiful. The three cellas each contain form of Visnu: Venugopala, Kesava and Lakshminarasinha. 

The Sadasiva Temple, situated to the north of the village, is an ekakuta of very exceptional architectural design. As in the two royal temples in Belur, the projections of the walls are not framed by long and slender pilasters, and they also miss any other reference to architecture in wood; consequently the walls have a typically severe look. 

Simple and Elegant design on the walls of Sadasiva temple

Main gopura of the Sadasiva temple

North-West view of the Sadasiva Temple, Nuggihalli

Although entry view of this temple is almost blocked by the compound wall and the village backdrop, the view from the corner of the compound inside is spectacular. The design is simple and elegant. It does not pierce into your eyes but attracts with its beautiful linear type of design. I only wished if the authorities had given more space to this temple so they would have a bigger compound which would make it look more beautiful. 

North-West corner of the Sadasiva temple

The Hoysala symbol on the gopura

Text taken from the book 'A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples' by Gerard Foekema.


Photographed on 2012 January 26, Thursday. 

© Srikanth Parthasarathy

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The Bucesvara Temple, Koravangala

Koravangala is 10km from Hassan. The Bucesvara-temple found here is a handsome monument; it elegantly shows the characteristics of Hoysala architecture and Sculpture. The temple has been build in 1173 AD by a rich officer called Buci and is well preserved. There is a neat fence around it, and pavement and lawns, and it is guarded well. To its north, the fascinating ruins of two other temples can be found. (One is directly seen from this main temple).

South-west view of the temple

The plan of the Bucesvara-temple is simple and elegant, it is a divikuta with the two shrines facing each other. These shrines are connected by a succession of a closed hall and open hall, thus presenting one of the cellas in the mysterious darkness of a closed hall, and the other in the dim light of an open hall. At the eastern end of the very oblong building, facing the south, there is a separate Bhairava Shrine. 

Southern wall of the main shrine

The open hall connecting the two shrines

The western shrine facing the east is complete in every respect, and is a very fine example of a shrine of the old kind. It is of a simple plan, square with three projections per side. Kalasa and Hoysala crest are present, and all architectural parts of the tower and the walls are decorated in the conventional way. 

VeeraGallu  (HeroStone) 

The symbol of Hoysala Dynasty

Both the halls are next to each other. The closed hall is complete , the open hall is not because there is nothing above the eaves is present. The open hall provides the temple with two side entrances; both of them are framed, and the southern entrance is flanked by tow small elephants. 

Southern entrance of the temple

Krishna on the north wall of the temple

The wicked Judicial Officer in the middle

Inner view of the temple

The open hall 

Of the interior, that of the open hall is the most enjoyable; it has fine ceilings and wonderful flossy pillars. The cella facing east contains a linga; the cella facing west, with its vestibule directly connected to the open hall, has a cult-image of Surya. 

A design on the ceiling of the open hall

The interior of the cella that contains the linga

flossy pillars of the open hall

We were lucky that we could find the official guide on the day we visited the temple. Mr. Venkataramaiah H. N is the official District Tourist Guide. He is a resident of Koravangala and a very knowledgeable person. He explained (both in English and Kannada) a lot of stores to us and helped us understanding more about the Hoysala Architecture. He can be reached on this number: 995-555-3922 anytime. I have taken some of the text from the book "A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples" by Gerard Foekema.

South-East panoramic view of the Bucesvara temple, Koravangala

Photographed on 2012 January 26, Thursday. 

© Srikanth Parthasarathy

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moon

that I know,
I can see moon
I now am easy
to lie to you
that I don't
find anything real
you don't know
that you can
keep it with you
the way you
made love
and me!

Srik

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amateur

Excerpt from the book The Accidental Masterpiece by Michael Kimmelman

I hope to approach the art of seeing here in the spirit of an amateur. I mean amateur in the original sense of the word, as a lover, someone who does something for the love of it, whole heartedly. The best amateur has the skills of a professional but true professionals stay amateurs at heart, keeping a lid on the cynicism and irony that can pass for sophistication in some circles. Skepticism is useful, and for critics, necessary. 

--

Cannot agree more. And the best possible explanation I've read so far. 

Srik

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freedom to doubt

Excerpt from the book The Meaning of It All by Richard P. Feynman

This freedom to doubt is an important matter in the sciences and, I believe, in other fields. It was born of a struggle. It was a struggle to be permitted to doubt, to be unsure. And I do not want us to forget the importance of the struggle and, by default, to let the thing fall away. I feel a responsibility as a scientist who knows the great value of a satisfactory philosophy of ignorance, and the progress made possible by such a philosophy, progress which is the fruit of freedom of thought. I feel a responsibility to proclaim the value of this freedom and to teach that doubt is not to be feared, but that is to be welcomed as the possibility of a new potential for human beings. If you know that you are not sure, you have a chance to improve the situation. I want to demand this freedom for future generations.

--

Absolutely! it is so important 'now' to teach that doubt is not to be feared. Else how will I know what I want to know? If I'm unsure of something, I surely can find out. 

Srik

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atoms with curiosity

Excerpt from the book The Meaning of It All by Richard P. Feynman

It is a great adventure to contemplate the universe, beyond man, to contemplate what it would be like without man, as it was in a great part of its long history and as it is in a great majority of places. When this objective is finally attained, and the mystery and majesty of matter are fully appreciated, to then turn the objective eye back on man viewed as matter, to view life as part of this universal mystery of greatest depth, is to sense an experience which is very rare, and very exciting. It usually ends in laughter and a delight in the futility of trying to understand what this atom in the universe is, this thing - atoms with curiosity - that looks at itself and wonders why it wonders. 

--
Well, I'm one of those atoms with curiosity. I'm deep somewhere in the game somebody designed and trying to think where am I or what am I really doing here?  Mysteriously wondering in awe.

Srik

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world without a living thing

Excerpt from the book The Meaning of It All by Richard P. Feynman

Can you conceive, can you appreciate or fit into your ideas what can be the meaning of a world without a living thing on it? We are so used to looking at the world from the point of view of living things that we cannot understand what it means not to be alive, and yet most of the time the world had nothing alive on it. And in most places in the universe today there probably is nothing alive. 

--

Well. Sigh. I had not even thought about it that way. Wonder why though?

Srik

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