A Wandering Heritager: SRI RAMESVARA TEMPLE, NARASAMANGALAM, CHAMARAJNAGAR TALUK, KARNATAKA

Sunday, 16 December 2018

SRI RAMESVARA TEMPLE, NARASAMANGALAM, CHAMARAJNAGAR TALUK, KARNATAKA

08^th December 2018.

Visit to this temple was a part of Thalavadi Heritage walk. With out proper direction and mobile signals ( google maps ), we found very difficult to locate this temple. And finally we reached the spot. This temple is being maintained by Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI). Even-though it was a Sunday, the care taker opened the sanctum door.

The sanctum sanctorum consists of a 10 feet square sanctum and height of about 7 feet, 18 feet arthamandapa and an open mukamandapa. The steps side walls to the muka mandapa, has the reliefs of sanga nidhi and Padma Nidhi. Dwarabalakas are at the entrance of arthamandapa. Both dwarabalakas are standing in un-identical position. The arthamandapam is being supported by lathe turned 4 numbers of Ganga period hard soap stone pillars. Ashtathik balakas panel with dancing Shiva at the center is on the arthamandapa ceiling. There is a big size Sandikeswara statue kept in the arthamandapa, perhaps for the safety reasons it might have kept in the arthamandapa. In between pillars reliefs of lions, horses and makara headed fish. One of the capital of a pillar has the relief of Ganga King and his wife. The beams of the arthamandapa has the reliefs of dancing, moving, fighting / wrestling dwarf bootha ganas with various heads like monkey, elephant etc. In the sanctum the moolavar is unique of 22 inches in diameter stands on a darkish black stone avudayar.

The Adhistanam has, oorthuva padma, round Kumuda and yazhivari similar to Srinivasanallur Shiva Temple. The Koshtams are empty now. The Vimana is of two tier built with brick and mortar. Various postures of Shiva Like. Gajasamkaramurthy, Dhakshinamurthy, Alinganamurthy, Rashabandhikar, dancers etc, adorn the Vimana. Most of the images are multilated yet the remains is enough to indicates the remarkable elegance and fine taste of Gangas. The Vimana is very much similar to the Dharmaraja Ratham of Mamallapuram Pallava period monolithic rock cut Temple. The Construction has the influence of Pallava architecture.

In the outer prakaram Nandhi is on a platform and it’s ears are found broken. On the North west corner platform there is a Mahishamardhini statue. On the South west corner there is a building which houses Saptha mathar statues, Jain Tirthankara Pashvanath and Vinayagar statues. In addition to there are inscription stones and Hero stones. In addition to this there is a Shiva linga with avudayar on the south east platform.

The temple was built during 9^th century Ganga period and the king who built the temple is not known. This is one of the very old and earliest temple built with stone and Stucco in Karnataka. One the Tamil Inscription stone speaks about a grants made to this temple god Ramanathadeva of Narasamangala by the Hoysala King Viraballala –III.

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