Chennakesava
Temple, Somanathapura – The Temple
This
Temple is facing towards with a pillared mahadvara. The
temple complex is surrounded by compound wall on all sides. The
temple is situated in a courtyard measuring 65.53 by 53.95 metres (215 by
177 feet). The
temple is constructed in trikutachala style, consisting of three shrines,
one each on north, south and west. The
temple is situated in the center of the courtyard. The three shrines are built in a
16-point star-shaped plan. The
temple is regarded as perfect in symmetry with exquisite stone carvings.
The small entrance mandapa is
supported by lathe-carved soapstone pillars. A Garuda pillar can be seen
in front of the mahadvara outside the
temple. The top of the pillar should have had an idol of Garuda but now
missing. The
entire temple is carved from soapstone, a green-grey chloritic schist
material that is soft in quarry but hardens when exposed to air. This is not
locally available and must have been imported from another part of South India.
The
main temple is built on a raised platform. It is about 3 feet high and
star-shaped. The
temple can be accessed through flight of steps from the eastern side. The
raised platform provides enough space for the devotees to circle around the
main temple. It is the pradakshina patha (circumambulation path) and
is supposed to be walked in a clockwise manner in order to pictorially read the
Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana legends in the correct
sequence.
The eastern side of the platform
is rectangular, while the space below the vimana (temple tower)
mirrors the pointed star tower shape, with nine points on each side and two
linking edges (a total of 29). The platform appears from distance to be five
stacks from the careful moulding. A stone elephant originally stood at each
star point end of the platform, but only 11 of the 15 original have survived in
a damaged condition.
On the sides of the star side
and where two stars of the jagati platform meet were 14 mid-size
images likely of Nagas and 58 images of Yakshas but all of
this are now missing. The
temple premises stores 7 of the broken pieces found in the early 20th
century. There are two shrines for dvarapalas on each side below near the
stairs to access the navaranga. The shrines are situated below the platform.
These shrines are damaged. There are four steps to access the navaranga from
the platform.
The navaranga is overall
rectangular in plan but it consists of two fused squares and a rectangle. A
small square is at the entrance, the largest square in the middle, and a
rectangle facing the three sanctum via vestibule.
The navaranga (hall) is supported by lathe turned pillars. The
pillars, except two of them, are of the same size. All of them, except four in
center, have five mouldings from common life themes stacked in sequence: disc,
bell, pot, wheel and umbrella.
The four set of central square
pillars of the Navaranga have yakshas and brackets, which have been damaged or
have disappeared. The two pillars to the east of the central square are shaped
as a 32 pointed-star. The Navaranga has a set of sixteen ceilings. Each one is
different and carved with nature motifs and Hindu theology symbolism. Notable
themes shown in the ceilings are banana flower in different stages of
inflorescence, different stages of lotus opening, knots symbolizing karma
and samsara and various geometrical patterns.
The central ceiling is carved
with dancers, musicians, soldiers with standing Vishnu and Shiva in various
forms, rafters in Sri Chakra tantric layout and others. The images
are decorated with heavy jewelry, bangles on every arm, towering crowns and
anklets. The Navaranga has friezes showing scenes from
the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. There are perforated windows
on the walls to allow natural sunlight. The western
shrine houses Kesava, northern shrine houses Janardhana and southern shrine houses Venugopala.
The shrine housing Kesava is
given prominence here. All the shrines are connected to the navaranga via vestibule.
The lintel above the entrance of the vestibule has an image of standing Kesava while
the canopy shows Gajalakshmi. The entrance of the sanctum has an image of Vaikuntha
Narayana seated on Ananta Shesha and the canopy shows a Vishnu in Sukhasana
yoga posture. The sanctum has a 1.5 feet tall Garuda pedestal, but the original
image once stood over the pedestal was missing. It is said that the original
idol was removed from the
temple by the Britishers and taken away. It was replaced by a new idol.
The southern shrine is guarded
by two dvarapalas namely Bhadra and Subhadra. The lintel
above the entrance of the vestibule has an image of Venugopala. The vestibule
has a carving of 13th century Lakshmi Narayana. He is shown seated
in the Sukhasana Yoga pose. He holds chakra, conch, lotus and a gada (mace).
The sanctum is guarded by two dvarapalas namely Jaya and Vijaya. The lintel above the entrance of the sanctum has an image
of seated Vishnu while the canopy has an image of dancing Vishnu.
The sanctum is square in plan. The
sanctum enshrines a 4.5 feet tall image of Venugopala. He wears ear rings,
necklaces, armlets, bracelets, finger rings, toe rings, anklets, girdle and
jeweled diadem. His legs are crossed, head slightly bent as he plays the bansuri (flute)
he holds with both his hands. His fingers are in a tapping position, and all
beings - from humans to cows, gods to goddesses inside the sanctum are depicted
as absorbed in the divine music.
Some figures are shown running
to listen to the music, their clothes slipping off. Above the householders,
gopis and cows are shown rishis (sages) who too are lost in the
experience. The ten avatars of Vishnu in
sequence: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama,
Buddha and Kalki are carved on the fringe of the image's torana (arch
above).
The entrance of the northern
shrine is guarded by dvarapalas namely Bhadra and Subhadra. The lintel above
the entrance of the vestibule has an image of Janardana while the canopy has an
image Lakshminarayana. The lintel above the entrance of the sanctum has an
image of seated Lakshmi while the canopy has an image of Yoga Narayana. The
sanctum enshrines a 4.5 feet tall idol of Janardana on 1.5 feet tall Garuda
pedestal. He wears jewelry and on the fringe of his
image's torana are carved the ten avatars of Vishnu.
The shikara (superstructure) over
the shrines and the vestibule are intact and highly decorative. The shikara
(superstructure) over the shrines are crowned with 16-pointed star shaped nagara
style tower. All the three shikaras are of same height. Their plan uses lotus
with an oblong projection, four sets of ornamental turrets, rhythmically
reducing in height and are capped by a stone kalasa.
The carvings on the tower
include dancers, gandharvas, yakshas, lion faces, kirtimukhas and mythical
animals such as makaras. The top of each tower is shaped as an inverted
blooming lotus flower. The original tower tops each had a large stone kalasa,
but these were damaged along with the sukanasa, and the
temple was without them. A recent restoration replaced the missing large
kalasa with a small cement kalasa. The vestibule of the shrines has a
superstructure called sukhanasi.
It looks like a shorter
extension of the main tower. The Hoysala crest (emblem of the Sala stabbing a
lion) over the sukhanasi of the shrines are missing. The courtyard has a large
open public courtyard surrounded by the walled enclosure. There is a covered colonnade running around the
enclosure with an array of small shrines. The southern colonnade consists
of typical lathe tuned pillars while the northern colonnade is a mix of simple
and lathe turned pillars.
The western colonnade has just
one lathe turned pillar and the rest are simple. This is just one asymmetrical
flaw that is found in the temple
complex. The northern and southern row of small shrines inside the colonnade
consists of eighteen single shrine and one linked-double shrine each. The
linked-double shrine is at the northwestern and southwestern corners of the
courtyard.
The western row consists of
fourteen small shrines, while the eastern row consists of eight single small
shrines and two linked-double shrines. The
temple consists of 58 small 1x1 small shrines, 4 small 2x1 linked-double
shrines, 2 near entrance, and the main
central temple. The 64 corridor shrines once featured Vedic and Puranic deities
and rooms for pilgrims. The idols in the smaller shrines were defaced, their
limbs broken or destroyed.
Some of the recovered broken
pieces are in a heap inside the
temple. The collection includes Jaina statues in the Kayotsarga posture
as well as numerous Hindu statues. The ceiling of the southern array of shrines
has carvings on its ceiling, the western does not, and it have a repair related
inscription instead from Vijayanagara Empire era. The northern array also
mostly lacks any ceiling art work except near the stairs in the middle, while
the eastern array shows the greatest signs of damage and restoration with most
small shrines missing but for signs of their foundation.
The eaves runs around the sanctum
where the superstructure meets the wall of the shrine. The eaves projects about
half a meter from the wall. Miniature decorative towers can be seen below this
eaves. Second eves can be seen below this decorative towers. Friezes of Hindu
deities and their attendants can be seen below the second eaves. There are about
194 intricately carved sculptures.
The large wall images on the
three identical tower superstructures each has an arch (torana) to frame the
image. The western side has simple flat or geometric arches, while the northern
and southern sides have intricately carved nature themes, such as hanging
fruits, flowers and flower laden creepers. Some include buds and stages of
natural development in flowering plants, while a few include wildlife such as a
lion in the center.
Most of these are also partially
defaced such as broken noses, chopped limbs, chopped out stone jewelry and show
other forms of damage. Notable among them are Nardana Vinayaga, Nardana
Saraswathi, Keshava, Venugopala, Janardana, Krishna, Indra, Varuna, Yama,
Vasudeva, Yoga Narayana, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama,
Rama, Buddha, Nardana Lakshmi, Brahma, Harihara, Surya, Mahishasura Mardini and
dancing Vishnu etc.
It is a common practice of the
sculptors to inscribe their names on their works during the reign of the
Hoysalas. The names of Ruvari Mallitamma, Masanithamma, Baleya, Bamaya,
Bharmaya, Chameya, Rameya, Chaudeya, Yalamasay, Nanjeya from Kannada region and
Pallavachari & Cholavachari from Tamil region are inscribed on the
pedestals of the images. It is observed that Mallitamma has not only carved the
maximum number of images but also carved the northern sanctum of Janardhana.
A set of six moldings can be
seen below the frieze which forms the base of the wall. The first horizontal
molding from the jagati contains procession of elephants, second contains
horsemen, foliage on the third, depictions from the Hindu epics
and puranic scenes in the fourth, friezes of
mythical makaras in the fifth and friezes of decorative peacocks in the
sixth. A parapet wall runs around the front hall on both sides of the entrance.
Horizontal friezes of elephants,
horsemen, scroll works, scenes from the epics and the puranas, a rail divided
into panels by double columns with tiny figures, turrets with lions intervening
between them and miniature erotic sculpture from the bottom to top can be seen
in the parapet wall. Perforated stone windows can be seen above the friezes. There
is a post box attached to a large tree in the
temple complex. If a visitor posts postcard in the box, it would be stamped
with a unique Somanathapura stamp.
