Kodandarama Temple, Hiremagalur – The Temple

Kodandarama Temple, Hiremagalur – The Temple

This Temple is facing towards east with five tiered Rajagopuram. The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of Sanctum, Antrala, Navaranga and Mukha Mandapa. The Sanctum and Antrala were of Hoysala style but the Sukanasi over the antrala, Navaranga and Mukha Mandapa were of later addition. The outer walls of the navaranga and mukhamandapa are built with brick and mortar. The Sanctum and Antrala were built on a square basement which consists of six cornices.

The sanctum enshrines idols of Lord Rama with his consort Sita and his brother Lakshmana on a Hanuman pedestal. Lord Rama and Lakshmana are shown carrying their arrows in their right hands and strung bows in their left hands. Mother Sita can be seen to the right side of Lord Rama, as per the tradition in Hindu marriage ceremonies. His brother Lakshmana can be seen on his left side. The idols appear to be of a later date and not of the Hoysala period. 

Besides pilasters and turrets, the outer walls of the Sanctum and Antrala have two rows of sculptures representing various forms of Lord Vishnu like Hayagriva, Narasimha, Lakshminarayana, Venugopala, Kalinga Mardana & Govardhanadhari, Lakshmi, Hanuman, Garuda and Ganapati. There is a beautiful idol of Lord Agni with two heads, seven tongues and three legs on the Gopura near the entrance.

There is a shrine for Yoga Narasimha in the temple premises. He is depicted in meditation posture in his shrine. This Idol is about 4 feet tall. The idol has a prabhavati on which the 10 incarnations are sculpted. Shrines of Sugriva, Kalinga Mardana Krishna, Ramanuja, Madhvacharya, Vedanta Desika and Azhwars can be seen in the temple premises. The temple had a pond nearby which is now dry.