27th January 2019.
After Basaral Mallikarjuna Temple’s Visit our next destination was to Nagamangala. It was planned to visit Perumal and Shiva temples built by Hoysala dynasty. Nagamangala was a Vaishnava centre and received patronage since the time of Vishnuvardhana ( 1116 AD). During the period of Veera Ballala-II, Nagamangala was developed in to an agrahara called “Vira Ballala Chaturvedi Bhattaratnakara”.
Presiding deity : Sri Saumyakesava Perumal
The salient features of this temple are…
The temple is facing east with a 7 tier Rajagopuram, without much stucco images. A Garuda thoon / Gamba is in front. Plaipeda and Dwajasthamba are immediately after the Rajagopuram. The sanctum sanctorum consists of 3 sanctums / garbhagirha, antarala, a common navaranga / arthamandapa and a large pillared mahamandapa. The Navaranga has two shrines on north and South. On the east side the mahamandapa opens to jagati. The temple structure is constructed with soap stone, raised on a 4 feet jagati with the conventional moldings is stellate in the area of sanctum and indented in the region of mahamandapa.
The temple is built on the jagati leaving a space of 6 feet all round which serves as circumambulatory passage. The eastern vimana is star shaped while north and south vimanas are not. The conventional moldings of adhistana, a single pilastered turreted wall, is a beautiful hiking carving retains its majesty. There no images like Basaral Mallikarjuna Temple. The western main sanctum faces east and the image of presiding deity Kesava, is completely covered with alangara ( flower decoration ), six feet tall, stands on a garuda pedestal. It is well-sculptured and serene in expression, so it is called Saumyakshava. While upper hands holds Sangu & Chakra, the lower hands are in Padma and gada. Other two garbhagrihas have a Venugopala with Rukmini in the south and Lakshminarasimha in the north respectively. These shrines are added at a latter date. The pillars and ceilings of the / arthamandapa navaranga are treated with varied and attractive designs.
The total temple was not constructed by the Hoysalas. Up to sanctum was built by the Hoysalas and latter north and south sanctum vimanas, mahamandapas, prakara, wall cloistered all round, a subsidiary shrine were added during post- Vijayanagaras period. Ugranarasima, the only sculpture is found on the central part of southern wall of western Vimana.
The Temple has 13 inscriptions. As per the inscription this place was called as ViraBallala Chaturvedi Bhattaratnakara agrahara. The 1134 AD, earliest Hoysala inscription refers the renovation of the Sankaranarayana temple ( no such temple is available now), done by Vishnuvardhana’s wife & Queen Bommaladevi.
The Ballala-II, 1171AD, inscription mentions a large number of grants was made to an agrahara. Experts of the opinion that the temple was built during Vira Ballala –II.
The 1329 AD, inscription mentions a land was gifted to Chennakesava temple by Mallideva, an officer of Hoysala Kingdom and his wife Channadevi.
The rest of the inscriptions belongs to the Vijayanagara period. In that one 15th century inscription mentions about setting up of a pillar at a cost of 4 gadyanas and another inscription mentions a grant during 16th century Sadasivaraya period.
TEMPLE TIMINGS:
The temple will be kept opened between 07.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs to 20.30 hrs.
HOW TO REACH:
The place Nagamangala is about 68 KM from Mysuru and 45 KM from Mandya.
LOCATION:CLICK HERE
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---
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