Kedareshwara Temple and Jain Basadis, Halebidu, Karnataka

“As the cradle of the human race, southern Asia would alone have a dim and reverential feeling connected with it... No man can pretend that the wild, barbarous, and capricious superstitions of Africa, or of savage tribes elsewhere, affect him in the way that he is affected by the ancient, monumental, cruel, and elaborate religions of Indostan, &c. The mere antiquity of Asiatic things, of their institutions, histories, modes of faith, &c., is so impressive, that to me the vast age of the race and name overpowers the sense of youth in the individual.”

– Thomas De Quincey, “Confessions of an English Opium-Eater” (1821)

Forbiddingly dark, appealingly photoshopped - Parshvanatha Basadi

It had poured tremendously the entire night and consequentially the beautiful pink-blue early morning was chillier than usual. The still undisturbed landscape, lethargically being tinted yellow-green by feeble rays of sunshine twinkling and sparkling like otherworldly diamonds against tiny water droplets immovably lodged amidst leaves and foliage, was awash with telltale earthly fragrances indelibly associated with any respectable countryside – the distasteful, yet strangely attractive, odor of water-drenched rotting wood and plant waste coupled with that of fresh cowdung littered about, the unmistakably rural wood smoke drifting around and thoroughly enveloping a few households and, piercing it all, the uplifting aroma emanating from sugarcane and paddy fields interspersed by fragrant flower-bearing weeds and wildflowers. Even more pristine at this early hour than its idyllic reputation would foretell, Halebidu, formerly referred to as “Dwarasamudra”, the celebrated capital of the distinguished Hoysala sovereigns (reign AD 1026-1343 over most of Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh), was slowly beginning to rouse from its undisturbed soundless slumber. Lined along the streets, several of the bovine species sat contentedly ruminating and uninterestedly regarding the languid appearance of orange-red sun streaks on the horizon. Goaded into action by the sudden realization of querulous crows and roosters spontaneously awakening with daybreak, a few mangy dogs sprinted about collecting whatever rotten leftovers they could. Only the majestic eagles appeared to have conscientiously taken to heart the adage “Early bird gets the first worm” and were already gracefully reconnoitering in successively loftier circles the immense green fields.

Couple of hundred meters from the astonishingly gorgeous Hoysaleswara Temple, the foremost of the remarkably conceived, meticulously sculpted and architecturally unsurpassed Hoysala-era shrines dotting Karnataka’s indescribably verdant vast landscape, I stood opposite another cluster of sanctified shrines of Hindu and Jain denomination, assiduously designed, extraordinarily executed, similarly ornamented, physically smaller, equally historic, and yet far less renowned, in fact nearly irredeemably forgotten, vis-à-vis their enormous magnificent neighbor.

Minimalist - 180° panorama depicting (left to right) the Brahma Stambha, Shantinatha Basadi, Adinatha Basadi and Parshvanatha Basadi

The first self-effacing cluster, whose discontinuous construction was initiated during the supremacy of Hoysala sovereign Bittideva Vishnuvardhana (reign AD 1108-52), comprises three austerely ornamented Jain shrines ("Jinalaya"/"Basadi") composed of rudimentarily sculpted resilient granite intermittently interspersed by intricately ornate decorative panels and exquisitely polished lathe-turned pillars. Also existential within the limited peripheries of the small compound enclosing this cluster are an irregular zigzag-shaped sacred step-well (“pushkarni”) and a soaring 20-feet tall “Brahma stambha” pillar which unmistakably indicates the existence of a consecrated Jain site. The shrines, heralded by a huge, partially ruinous but excellently conserved and restored gateway and a Kannada inscription inscribed on a massive stone also depicting representations of a seated Jain Tirthankar (lit., “ford-maker”, omniscient spiritual teachers who attained liberty from the terrible cycle of rebirths and worldly attachment by fierce contemplative meditation, unremitting emphasis on non-violence, and the renunciation of worldly relationships and responsibilities) flanked by fly-whisk bearing celestial attendants, even though architecturally and artistically terribly austere and traditional, nonetheless undeniably succeed in impressing a casual visitor through their graceful humility and abhorrence of pretentious flamboyance.

It was also in Emperor Vishnuvardhana’s glorious reign that the aforementioned evocatively spellbinding Hindu shrine dedicated to Sri Hoysaleswara, and also the similarly magnificent one dedicated to Sri Chennakesava at Belur nearby, were conceived and commissioned (refer Pixelated Memories - Hoysaleswara Temple complex, Halebidu and Pixelated Memories - Sri Chennakesava Temple complex, Belur). Jain faith too found unequivocal resonance in his immense empire since he originally adhered dutifully to that faith, and his ethereally beautiful Queen Shantala Devi afterwards too continued to sincerely believe in and plentifully patronize Jainism despite his conversion.

Symbolism - Doorjamb, Parshvanatha Basadi 

Dedicated to the legendary twenty-third Tirthankara Parshvanatha (BC 872-772) and therefore unimaginatively christened “Vijaya Parshvanatha Jinalaya” (although it was originally acknowledged by the nomenclature “Dhrohagharatta Jinalaya”), the first shrine, physically grander and artistically significantly better refined than the other two, is preceded by a large, freestanding pillared hallway and possesses embossed on its doorjamb an exquisitely intricate depiction of a tiny seated figure of a long-eared Tirthankara superimposed with three successively smaller umbrellas above his head and a voluptuous, richly attired, heavenly attendant on either flank bearing regal yak-tail flywhisks. Against the wall rest several large stone tablets delicately carved with similar religious representations and engraved with numerous medieval inscriptions chronologically recounting the commission and construction of the shrine in AD 1133 by Boppadeva in loving memory of his father Gangaraja, a high-ranking minister in the illustrious court of Emperor Vishnuvardhana, and the subsequent financial donations and structural and ornamental additions to it.

The initial disappointment, if any, upon exploring the understated exteriors of the shrines instantaneously dissipates on stepping within. Originally, the drop-dead gorgeous interiors were illuminated only by minute streams of sunlight tracing their way in through the formidably set entrance, however presently numerous high-wattage fluorescent lamps have been embedded along the indentations and sharp vertexes defining the extensively conceived roof designs. Nonetheless, the unrelentingly grim severity of darkness further accentuates the forbiddingly straight vertical and horizontal lines that define the numerous deftly designed stone pillars that support the immensely heavy roof and are tantalizingly decorated with ornate strings of sculpted trinkets and meshwork patterns, but it also succeeds in blurring all but the most prominent of the methodically detailed nature of the delicately carved stone roof that graces the hallway preceding the sanctum.

Flawless symmetry - Subsidiary shrine, Parshvanatha Basadi

In the constricted sanctum, almost frighteningly rises wraith-like an enormous 18-feet tall, eerily glistening grey-black sculpture of Tirthankara Parshvanatha compassionately smiling, standing entirely naked against an exceptionally magnificently designed, highly symmetrical archway interposed with an enormous slithering seven-hooded serpent which also reverentially forms a protective canopy above the Lord to shield him from the elements. That the meager sunlight streaming through the cavernous entrance, which is equally proportioned as the massive sculpture, so brightly illuminates the latter that it almost perceptibly glows amidst the terrifyingly blinding darkness somehow initially proves intimidating, invoking a singular aura of being as emotionally threatening as visually mesmerizingly.

Except for the spatial dimensions of the considerably narrow, pillared hallway preceding it, the Shantinatha Basadi is almost equally proportioned, identically conceived and likewise ornamented as the Parshvanatha Basadi. Consecrated to the gold-complexioned sixteenth Tirthankara Shantinatha (who supposedly lived for over 50,000 years 10^194 years ago!!), it was commissioned in AD 1196 by an affluent merchant Madhukanna Vijayanna during the reign of Emperor Vishnuvardhana’s grandson Hoysala Veer Ballala II (reign AD 1173-1220), however it’s explicitly contended that the inelegant pillared hallway composed of unsophisticatedly rough-hewn granite was constructed during the culturally renowned Vijayanagar Dynasty reign (AD 1336-1646). Curiously, the entirety’s massive spatial extent regressively reduces the adjacently located, considerably smaller, far simplistically intended and rudimentarily crafted Adinatha Basadi, which it almost physically embraces, to the visual impression of being forcefully and asymmetrically wedged between its two larger contemporaries despite it being commissioned decades earlier in AD 1138 by Devara Heggade Mallimayya, another eminent minister in the distinguished court of Emperor Vishnuvardhana.

Medieval impressions - Commemorative inscription, Adinatha Basadi

Compared to the dexterously sculpted Parshvanatha Basadi, Shantinatha Basadi is a significantly simpler affair, both internally and externally, in terms of additional decorative appendages such as exquisitely carved decorative panels and the artistic nature of the 18-feet high hallowed sculpture deified in the congested, extraordinarily dark sanctum. Along the roof-level of the aforementioned pillared hallway are employed as restrained adornments fairly rounded, markedly well-spaced and singularly thick “kangura” patterns (battlement-like ornamentation).

The Karnataka circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) deserves to be highly commended for preserving and restoring these historic monuments as well as excellently maintaining the limited grass-shrouded space around them. The diligent caretakers employed too consider their duties as essential public service and perform them laudably conscientiously. What is most impressive however, which I’m sure any adherent to the essentially non-violent and all-embracing tenets of Jainism will indulgently approve, is that even though high-wattage fluorescent lights have been meticulously installed within the shrines to highlight their unique artistic adornments and architectural features, none have been mounted within the constricted sanctums where numberless tiny bats still continue to cheerfully roost and ceaselessly chirrup.

Displaying an unparalleled excellence of artistic conception and decorative embellishment including a spatially stellar geometric structure, a dense abundance of detailed representations of mythical entities, mythological deities and anthropomorphic creatures, and an overspilling profusion of dexterously carved, highly adorned sculptures festooned with flawless jewelry and religious symbolism, the Kedareshwara temple is located very slightly more than a stone’s throw away from the surprisingly simplistic Jain Basadi cluster. A beautiful exemplar of consummate Dravidian architecture, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of death and destruction, and was jointly commissioned in AD 1219 by Emperor Veer Ballala II and his famous queen Abhinava Ketaladevi.

Unequaled - The Kedareshwara Temple

I shall only briefly touch upon enumerating the unique considerations exhibited by the Hoysala's Hinduism-oriented architecture since the same have been several times previously comprehensively described on this blog. Immediately conspicuous here too is the diligent attention to the minutest of ornamental details introduced by the extraordinarily accomplished artists, the overindulgence of the representation of imaginary entities like “Makara” (entities possessing the body of a fish, the face and tusks of an elephant, the limbs of a lion and the tail of a peacock) and “Kirtimukha” (the ferociously wide fanged, lion-like face of an all-consuming demon conceived and originated out of thin air by Lord Shiva to destroy other, mightier demons), the incredibly fantastical number of beyond-belief gorgeous sculptures of mythological deities and mythical anthropomorphic entities employed along the exterior surface barely below the layered-roof delineation and the composition of the hallowed superstructure’s colossal base comprising an outstanding variety of individualistic tiny horizontal columns (counting vertically upwards – charging elephants, fearsome lions, mounted horses, mythical “Makara” and beautiful swans respectively symbolizing insurmountable stability, formidable strength, matchless agility, unchallenged might and elegant grace; intermittently punctuated by extravagant flourishes of floral foliage scrolls and creepers and miniaturized discontinuous depictions of tales from the epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and the various Puranas, followed eventually in their turn by an exaggerated mesh work of small arched alcoves inset with tens of hundreds of smaller inconsequential deities, celestial dancers and divine devotees). The smaller images give way to larger sculptures, each an exemplar not only of unparalleled sculptural art, but also of excellent ancient mythological fables that even precisely specify how a deity is to be visually depicted and which weapon and which facial expression and bodily movement symbolically represents what action and which boon-bestowing capability!

Poetry in stone (V5.0)

On the walls are carved massive sculptures of several Hindu deities and their numerous different incarnations, most prominent being Lord Vishnu, the God of life and nourishment, and Lord Shiva, the God of death and destruction – thus there is the anthropomorphic, boar-faced Varaha mightily lifting Earth Goddess Bhudevi from the sea of ether after defeating the demons who had imprisoned her; the benevolent, boon-bestowing, omniscient aspect of Lord Vishnu flanked on either side by his wives Bhudevi and Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity; the ten-faced, ten-armed intellectual demon King Ravana of Lanka attempting to physically lift the massive Kailasha mountain, the abode of Lord Shiva; the supremely gifted archer-warlord Arjuna; the ten-armed Goddess Durga, a fierce manifestation of primordial feminine energy, piercing the body of buffalo-demon Mahishasura with her intimidatingly long trident; several representations of Lord Shiva furnishing his terrific trident and celestial drum and indulging in “Tandava” (the destructive dance of universal obliteration); Goddess Kali, the unruly manifestation of primordial feminine energy who reigns supreme over sexual acts and inclinations and death and destruction, being reverentially worshipped with musical instruments by cadaverous ghouls as she unusually exclaims with regret and shyness upon unknowingly stepping on her prostrate husband Lord Shiva; Lord Krishna (aka “Govardhana Girdhari” or “The Lifter of Mount Govardhana”), the ostentatious playboy-strategist-statesman-cow herder-warrior-philosopher who supposedly lived some 5,000 years ago and is regarded as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, physically lifting the mountain Govardhana to shield the inhabitants of his domain from a merciless hammering of fierce hailstorms invoked by indomitable demon lords; and Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed, pot-bellied God of auspiciousness, knowledge and beginnings. My personal favorite, as always, remains “Gajasurasamhara”/“Gajacharmambaradhari” – six-armed, combative Lord Shiva wielding numerous weapons of death and devastation while dancing blissfully upon the decapitated head of the slain elephant-demon Gajasura whose flayed hide he triumphantly raises and brandishes as an enormous cloak while his followers gaze wide-eyed terrified and deferential.

"Gajasurasamhara" - The ecstasy of a triumphant God (V4.0)

The marvelous shrine’s and consequentially the sculptures’ smaller, more human, dimensions succinctly allowed the outstandingly accomplished craftsmen-sculptors to dexterously execute astonishingly vividly detailed artworks and exceedingly convoluted foliage flourishes and jewelry. What is more interesting however is the sartorial treatment of several of the more prominent sculptures – indeed numerous portrayals of Lord Shiva have been represented unclothed, except for extensive headgear and layers upon layers of slithering snakes and serpentine foliage not very differential from each other, therefore exposing his genitalia (more often than not, like numerous other exceedingly elegant sculptures, incorrigibly damaged and disfigured by the fiercely fanatical-iconoclast Muslim armies led by Malik Kafur, the ferociously barbaric eunuch General of Sultan Alauddin Khilji (reign AD 1296-1316) of Delhi Sultanate, who invaded and pitilessly ravaged Halebidu).

The road leading to the enviable shrines literally terminates at the sacred complex’s enclosing peripheries and beyond it begin ceaseless bountiful vibrant green fields. Adoringly gazing at the exceedingly delicate shrine while leaving, I could not help immediately reflecting that in numerous figurative ways too, it is indeed the end of the road. Historically, the breathtaking shrine can be chronologically considered one of the last Hoysala-era achievements and can unquestionably be regarded as cherished among its foremost distillations of miniaturization sculptural ornamentation. Little did I realize however that it would prove an agonizing end of road for me as well and soon I shall be leaving charismatic Karnataka for the immensely well-tread pathways of my beloved Delhi. I nostalgically hope to return someday.

Reconnoitering

Location: Basadihalli, approximately 500 meters from Halebidu bus stop.

How to reach: Hassan is accessible from different parts of Karnataka by regular KSRTC bus and Indian Railways train services. It is approximately 180 kilometers or five hours away by road from Bangalore. From Hassan, Halebidu is located about 32 kilometers or roughly one hour away by bus at the end of a journey that does take one on certain thoroughly pockmarked stretches of road winding through hill-flanked barren plains and fields. The bus service between Hassan and Halebidu is however not very regular and one might occasionally have to wait up to 30 minutes.

From Halebidu bus stop, keep walking towards the right for about 300 meters until you encounter another road branching off towards the left. Follow that road to reach the two temple complexes located almost adjacent in a straight line. The road terminates at Kedareshwara temple.

Open: Everyday, 8 am – 5 pm. On the occasional Sunday however, the part-time ASI caretaker, part-time knowledgeable guide at the Jain Basadi complex (though he vehemently refuses to accept pecuniary benefits for his generous assistance) might arrive around 8.30 am. The straightforward interiors of Kedareshwara temple are presently kept perennially locked and one can only look within through the iron grille.

Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 45 min each
Remarks – Footwear are not allowed inside the temples and have to be left outside. No toilets and drinking water facilities are available here, but the same can be availed at Halebidu bus stop/Hoysaleswara temple complex.
Relevant Links -

Other Hoysala-era shrines in Karnataka -

1. Pixelated Memories - Hoysaleswara Temple complex, Halebidu
2. Pixelated Memories - Sri Chennakesava Temple complex, Belur
3. Pixelated Memories - Sri Pataleshwara Temple, Belur
4. Pixelated Memories - Sri Prasanna Chennakesava Temple, Somnathpura

Suggested reading -

1. Deccanherald.com - Article "Halebeedu Jain basadi cries for attention" (dated Jan 17, 2012)
2. Fullstopindia.com - Kedareswara Temple: Off The Beaten Path in Halebid
3. Jainworld.com - 24 Tirthankaras
4. Karnatakatravelogue.blogspot.in - Kedareshwara temple and Parshwanatha Jain Basadi of Halebid
5. Thehindu.com - Article "Incredibly beautiful, but simply ignored" (dated July 10, 2010) by Shama Sunder
6. Wikipedia.org - Adinatha (Rishabhanatha)
7. Wikipedia.org - Parshvanatha
8. Wikipedia.org - Shantinatha
9. Wikipedia.org - Veera Ballala II

Sri Prasanna Chennakesava Temple, Somnathpura, Karnataka

“From the origin of things down to the fifteenth century of the Christian era, inclusive, architecture is the great book of humanity, the principal expression of man in his different stages of development, either as a force or as an intelligence.

When the memory of the first races felt itself overloaded, when the mass of reminiscences of the human race became so heavy and so confused that speech naked and flying, ran the risk of losing them on the way, men transcribed them on the soil in a manner which was at once the most visible, most durable, and most natural. They sealed each tradition beneath a monument.

And not only the form of edifices, but the sites selected for them, revealed the thought which they represented, according as the symbol to be expressed was graceful or grave. Greece crowned her mountains with a temple harmonious to the eye; India disemboweled hers, to chisel therein those monstrous subterranean pagodas, borne up by gigantic rows of granite elephants.”

– Victor Hugo (“The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”, 1831)

Poetry in stone (V4.0) - Sri Prasanna Chennakesava Temple

In the unbelievably tranquil tiny village of Somnathpura not very far from the elegant city of Mysore exists the majestic Prasanna Chennakesava temple, chronologically the last and visually the most remarkable exemplar of Hoysala architecture and an epitome of highly symmetrical, immaculately designed and imaginatively embellished sculptural magnificence. Dedicated to the mythological Lord Keshava/Krishna, an ostentatious playboy-strategist-statesman-cowherd-warrior-philosopher who supposedly lived some 5,000 years ago and is regarded as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of life and nourishment, the architecturally outstanding and artistically unequaled triple-celled (“trikutachala”) temple seated on its perfectly symmetrical juxtaposed star-shaped platform (“jagati”) venerates the “Venugopala” (“The hypnotic cowherd flute-player”), “Janardhana” (“He who bestows worldly success and spiritual liberation”) and “Kesava” (“He of the beautiful long hair”) aspects of the Lord respectively in its three highly embossed, excellently ornamented individual shrines. In their literature and folktales, the Hoysalas (reign AD 1026-1343) traced their historic lineage to the Yadava clan of north India which claims genealogical descent from Lord Krishna himself – therefore the conspicuous overabundance of exceptionally splendid shrines and vividly bejeweled sculptures throughout the historic land of Karnataka revering the mythical deity.

Indescribable!

As if traversing a mysterious mythical barrier delineating the reality from the fantastical, a strangely verdant world presents itself to a visitor as soon as s/he steps within the wire mesh-demarcated physical boundary of the painstakingly landscaped lawn surrounding the temple. Vividly colored flowers mesmerizingly flutter against the gentle breeze and butterflies drunkenly flit around in arbitrary patterns from one shrub to another, flawless white egrets traverse the unfluctuating spread of the grass carpet in search of grub and overhead large hornbills with majestic beaks swoop from the immense spread of the gnarled branches that envision to block out the entire sky somewhere in the future. Several massive flame-of-forest trees compose the boundaries of the lawn while rows upon rows of neatly manicured hedges eventually terminate in an enormous acacia tree that benevolently shelters in its cool shadow the simplistic gateway of the temple’s enclosing rectangular courtyard whose boundaries in their turn are composed of strikingly symmetrical colonnades.

Indian Grey Hornbill - Another of nature's wonders

Step through the gateway and one literally feels unreservedly humbled in the face of indescribably gorgeous sculptural grandeur – not only is the sheer variety and noteworthy ornamental nature of the artworks and sculptures adorning every conceivable surface of the shrine unmentionably vast and beyond description, but furthermore, overawing every person that beholds the small shrine, here at least, unlike the more grander, unmatched Hoysala specimens at Belur and Halebidu (refer Pixelated Memories - Hoysaleswara Temple complex, Halebidu and Pixelated Memories - Sri Chennakesava Temple complex, Belur), the layered pyramidal spires crowning the three individual shrines, meticulously proportioned and exquisitely detailed with a spellbinding miniaturization of precisely-defined flourishes, insignificant deities and mythical creatures, are still existential and exceedingly well-preserved.

Moreover, such is the attention to the minutest of ornamental details that the extraordinarily accomplished craftsmen-sculptors introduced in their craft that one can be forgiven for believing that the patterns and mythological lores are carved not in stone but in wax or wood! The entire superstructure is composed of dark green/blue-black hued chloritic schist (soapstone) which is extremely easy to chisel into ornately detailed patterns in its original form but transforms to tremendously resilient, unmalleable stone once exposed to the elements for years. Interestingly though, the fascinating sculptures here are significantly more richly jewel-encrusted despite their considerably smaller dimensions relative to their counterparts at Belur and Halebidu.

A world in its own

Also, except for a visual representation each of Goddess Saraswati (the ethereally beautiful patron of arts, music, learning and knowledge) portrayed here ecstatically dancing while deftly playing her Veena (Indian string instrument) and a ten-armed Goddess Durga (a fierce manifestation of primordial feminine energy) piercing the body of buffalo-demon Mahishasura with her intimidatingly long trident while straddling a particularly realistic buffalo, all depictions here are strictly those of Lord Vishnu and his numerous anthropomorphic incarnations, mythological divine aspects and legendary followers. And while the larger sculptures layering each angle and protruding corner are exemplars not only of unparalleled sculptural art, but also of excellent ancient mythological fables that even precisely specify how a deity is to be visually depicted and which weapon and which facial expression and bodily movement symbolically represents what action and which boon-bestowing capability, the most enthralling are of course the outstanding individualistic horizontal friezes comprising the base of the temple’s external ornamentation – the six layers, punctuated by miniaturized discontinuous depictions of tales from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, are respectively composed of charging elephants, mounted horses, floral scrolls of foliage and variegated creepers interspersed by fearsome “Kirtimukha” (the ferociously wide fanged, lion-like face of an all-consuming demon conceived and originated out of thin air by Lord Shiva, the God of death and destruction, to destroy other mightier demons), mythical “Makara” (entities possessing the body of a fish, the face and tusks of an elephant, the limbs of a lion and the tail of a peacock) and beautiful swans respectively symbolizing insurmountable stability, matchless agility, formidable strength, unchallenged might and elegant grace.

Mythology articulated in stone

The temple’s front face possesses, instead of the larger sculptures, tiny scroll bands of numerous perceptibly different geometric and floral patterns followed in their turn by diminutive decorative circular or star-shaped pillars supporting in their midst an extravagant mesh work of small arched alcoves inset with tens of thousands of inconsequential deities, celestial dancers and divine devotees.

The most spellbindingly realistic and artistically evocative statues are however those of the celestial guards that flank the entrances – draped with extremely fine jewelry and headgear that one would have been hard pressed to even be able to carve in soap and yet those tremendously skilled sculptors of yore crafted in stone, the marvelous figures, bearing divine chakras (serrated spinning disc weapons) and conch shells and wrapped with layers upon layers of extraordinarily delicate jewelry, are embossed upon layers of elaborate foliage and geometric patterns once more culminating into fierce Kirtimukhas, miniature Makaras and tantalizing floral patterns.

Those sculptors, these details, such polish!

The multitudes of sculptures and scroll work lend testimony to the incomparable skill of the architects and artists who were themselves so impressed and overjoyed by their own creations that they disregarded ancient Hindu architectural customs that prohibit artists and sculptors from signing their work – thus come to light the names, sovereign-bestowed titles and places of origin, but not the achievements and lives, of Ruvari Mallitamma, Masanithamma, Chameya, Chaudeya, Nanjeya, Rameya, Pallavachari and Cholavachari. A huge inscribed stone tablet records the commissioning of the temple in AD 1268 by Somanatha Dandanayaka, the illustrious Commander-in-Chief of Emperor Narasimha III (reign AD 1263-92), within the small village he had established and christened after himself as “Somnathpur Agrahara”. In and about the temple are several other inscriptions as well dated from AD 1269 to 1550 recording its substantial embellishment by private individuals and the endowment of the revenue of several villages for its maintenance by later sovereigns.

Sculptural extravaganza!

The enchanting T-shaped superstructure is divided internally into three exactly identical, incredibly narrow sanctums facing the central hallway, each possessing a singular sculpture portraying the Lord’s aforementioned aspects and heralded by massive astonishingly impressive doorjambs and resplendently ornate divine guards crafted from lustrous granite. Each mesmerizing idol is so thoroughly detailed and finely polished that it lustrously shimmers golden-brown in the warm mellow glow of the numerous incandescent bulbs that illuminate the incredibly dark interiors since the minute streaks of sunlight tracing their way in through the formidably set entrance and the numerous miniscule cross-shaped openings in the ornamental stone latticework that defines the magnificent temple’s walls prove to be grossly insufficient. The darkness further accentuates the forbiddingly straight vertical and horizontal lines that define the numerous deftly designed stone patterns carved into the heavy set walls, but it also succeeds in blurring the methodically detailed nature of the numerous ornately carved concave stone roofs that grace the enchanting rectangular hallway preceding the sanctums and culminate into unequaled patterns fairly realistically reminiscent of the development and blossoming of a massive banana bud.

Soothing sacredness

Except for two stellar-shaped ones immediately adjacent the entrance, all the tantalizing pillars that support the extensively conceived, immensely heavy roof are lathe-turned polished to spotless brilliance and passionately decorated with ornate strings of sculpted trinkets and meshwork patterns. It is compelling to notice how the relatively straightforward interiors were transformed into an artistic extravaganza along the exteriors by those matchlessly accomplished sculptors and consummate craftsmen through the employment of numerous angles and recesses in cohesion with hundreds of thousands of sculptural curves and miniaturization art in collaboration with an unequalled understanding of light and shadow play. Not to be easily outdone by the physically larger and regally patronized shrines at Belur and Halebidu, here were constructed at each protruding vertex of the plinth (“jagati”) smaller ornate sculptures of caparisoned elephants, insignificant deities and serpent divinities.

Impossibly detailed

Sadly though, despite witnessing such incomparable visual extravaganza and sculptural grandeur, I left the shrine slightly dejected – it being a Sunday and therefore a vacation for post offices and furthermore, there not being any significant information on the internet apprising passionate philatelists that a letter/post card dropped in the small red postbox nailed to the aforementioned massive acacia tree outside the temple enclosure will be stamped with a special commemorative cancellation depicting a pictorial profile of the shrine, the enthusiastic amateur philatelist in me (further goaded by an innate, much despised tendency to collect and hoard souvenirs!) could not help feeling crestfallen about not having on me an envelope and consequentially not being able to post a letter from here.

The last of its kind

Open: All days, 8.30 am – 5.30 pm
Location: Somnathpura, 35 kilometers from Mysore
How to reach: Infrequent private buses ply between T. Narsipur and Somnathpura villages (12 kilometers – 20 minutes – Rs 10/person). Regular government buses are available from Suburban bus stand, Mysore to T. Narsipur bypass flyover (35 kilometers – 30 minutes – Rs 15/person) from where one can walk to T. Narsipur village bus stand. The roads between Mysore and T. Narsipur, although terribly pockmarked, wind through vast water-logged paddy plantations that alluringly glisten soothing blue-green early morning and brilliant blinding green in the afternoon.
Entrance fees: Indians: Rs 5; Foreigners: Rs 100; Free entry for children up to 15 years of age.
Photography/video charges: Nil
Note: The temple is still fervently revered by faithful pilgrims and footwear is not allowed within the central courtyard. The same can be deposited (for a miniscule sum of Rs 2/pair) at the makeshift counter near the humble gateway.
Relevant Links -
Other Hoysala temples in Karnataka -

1. Pixelated Memories - Hoysaleswara Temple complex, Halebidu
2. Pixelated Memories - Sri Chennakesava Temple complex, Belur
3. Pixelated Memories - Sri Pataleshwara Temple, Belur

Other monuments/landmarks in/around Mysore -

1. Pixelated Memories - Church of St. Joseph and St. Philomena
2. Pixelated Memories - Mysore Palace
3. Pixelated Memories - Seringapatnam
4. Pixelated Memories - Sri Chamundeshwari Temple

Suggested reading - 

1. Indianphilately.net - Permanent Pictorial Cancellations: Karnataka
2. Kaladarshana.com - Somnathpura
3. Wikipedia.org - Chennakesava Temple, Somanathapura

Sri Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysore, Karnataka

“Into the bosom of the one great sea flow streams that come from hills on every side.
Their names are various as their springs. And thus in every land do men bow down
To one great God, though known by many names.”

– Tikkana, late 12th-century Telugu poet

Venerated as a “Shakti Peetha” and dedicated to Goddess Chamundeshwari (aka Chamunda), a fiercely destructive manifestation of the primordial universal feminine energy who was adoringly worshipped by the famously affluent Wadiyar/Wodeyar Dynasty of Mysore (reign AD 1399-1947), the mesmerizingly beautiful Sri Chamundeshwari Temple situated as a glorious crown atop the crest of the towering Chamundi Hills some 13 kilometers from the charming city of Mysore is so exceedingly renowned that no visit to the city is considered complete without a trek (or a bus ride like in my case!) up to the revered shrine. Identical to the folkloric and historically chronological development of the attributes and mythologies associated with most of the Tantric Hindu Goddesses, the fearsome aspect of Goddess Chamundeshwari – often portrayed as a terribly emaciated, horribly deformed, frighteningly fanged feminine deity who roams about graveyards and battlefields with packs of ravenous jackals and fiendish goblins, feasts on the blood of the horrible demons she recently slayed and adorns herself with ornaments conceived from decapitated skulls, live scorpions and slithering serpents – is said to have its origins in tribal Goddesses who were assimilated into Hinduism and Jainism and associated with primal all-encompassing mother Goddesses who are in their entirety considered an embodiment of the combination of the all-pervading life force, the unimaginably diverse aspects of matter and relentless, boundless time.

Heartwarming yellow! - The fierce Goddess' abode

Like the famously notorious Kamakhya Temple of Assam and Kali Ghat of Calcutta (refer Pixelated Memories - Kamakhya Temple and Pixelated Memories - Kali Ghat Temple), this ancient shrine too has its mythological roots in convoluted Hindu legends which recall the ritualistic sacrificial worship (“yagna”) commissioned by the mythological emperor Daksha in which his own angelic daughter Sati (Shakti) and her husband Shiva, the Hindu God of death and destruction, were unwelcome. Sati, though requested not to go by Lord Shiva but persuaded by an unremitting love for her father and maternal family, nonetheless reached her father’s abode only to be faced with an unrelenting onslaught of merciless abuses and insults heaped upon her all-powerful husband, as an anguished consequence of which she committed suicide by jumping into the ceremonial fire. Dangerously enraged and unnervingly grief-struck, Lord Shiva picked up Goddess Sati’s lifeless body in one arm and his frightening trident in the other and began the frenzied “Tandava Nritya” (“Dance of  Universal Annihilation”). The entire world was on the brink of irrevocable destruction when all the Gods and deities collectively invoked Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of life and preservation, who used his “Sudarshana Chakra” (serrated spinning disc weapon) to cleave Sati’s body into 51 parts since an infuriated Shiva had vowed not to stop his terrible dance till Sati’s body existed. Each of the sacred spots where these 51 hallowed parts fell came to be sanctified as an auspicious “Shakti Peetha” (“Seat of Power”) where an intent worshipper would be endowed with immeasurable intellectual and spiritual prowess. Sati’s hair are said to have fallen at Chamundi Hills and a small shrine was constructed eons ago in the city’s ancient history to commemorate the mythological event and its bequest of sacredness to the city’s frontiers. It was later expanded and exquisitely adorned by the formidable Hoysala Dynasty sovereigns (reign AD 1026-1343), especially Emperor Bittideva Vishnuvardhana (ruled AD 1108-52) whose reign also saw the construction of two of Karnataka's most renowned temples at Belur and Halebidu (refer Pixelated Memories - Sri Chennakesava Temple and Pixelated Memories - Hoysaleswara Temple); the shrine's massive towering gateway, surmounted by an intricately ornate elongated-pyramidal spire (“Gopuram”), was a later addition financed by the courtly cultured Vijaynagara Empire sovereigns (reign AD 1336-1646) and was extensively repaired during the reign of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (ruled AD 1799-1868).

Enigmatic sculptural art - Vijaynagara Dynasty's finest legacy

True to its fame, the marvelous sunshine-yellow shrine is not just an excellent epitome of the hundreds of fanatically worshiped and patronized religious heritage sites scattered throughout the country, but is also a fascinatingly detailed study of the assimilation of several exhilarating mythological tales and mythical folklores into religious and sculptural art as well as the evolution of architectural features chronologically appended to numerous edifices by the historical dynasties that lorded over the beautifully-endowed state of Karnataka. The temple’s surroundings, overly crowded with humans and animals and frequented by hordes of often excessively pestering vendors, though are an altogether different picture which might leave a sour taste in one's mouth – functioning as an extensive, poorly-managed parking lot, a feeding space for dozens of cadaverous cows sniffing through mounds of rotten, scandalously foul-smelling garbage and leftovers accumulated around courtesy of the thousands of devotees who throng to the shrine every single day of the year (that’s Indian religious hypocrisy for you!), and a commercial zone lined with makeshift shops, food carts, trollies and cross-legged vendors squatting on the ground offering everything a visitor could possibly desire (crudely sculpted stone souvenirs, plastic framed photographs of the shrine, offerings of sugarballs, sacred red thread, brilliant orange marigold flowers and ripe coconuts for the deities, colorful bead necklaces, several kinds of eatables and streetside food like samosas (deep-fried, spicy potato-filled triangular parcels crafted from corn flour), pakoras (deep-fried lentil and vegetable fritters), bananas, sugarcane juice and steamed/roasted corn garnished with lime juice and rock salt). The magnificent shrine itself rises through the sheer surge of humanity and proudly flaunts depictions of mythological creatures and mythical anthropomorphic deities conceived in all their artistic splendor through hundreds of years of human imagination and replicated here in an extensive extravaganza of enthralling sculptural art.

Unarguably the most iconic of Hindu deities!

The two sides of the soaring gateway tower that are parallel to the sanctum possess in their centers highly realistic, thoroughly detailed sculptures of celestial guards and the other two sides portray each of the “Sapta Matrika” (the group of seven divine mother Goddesses to which Chamundeshwari also belongs; the other six – Brahmani, Maheshvari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi and Indrani – are each considered the feminine aspect (“Shakti”) of a male deity and resemble him in their physical appearance as well, but Chamundeshwari is unique in that she is generally associated with the supreme mother Goddess Durga herself and therefore is depicted seated at the very apex of the tower). The excellent representation of Goddess Chamundeshwari at the tremendously well-conceived crown of the tower is unbelievably spellbinding! The mythological symbolism is so vividly portrayed and each individual feature so seamlessly blends into the next that the depiction is unparalleled, both in the scope of the visual description and composition of the demons and mythical creatures involved, as well as the overall placement and juxtaposition of the elements – the crown literally transforms into an unforeseen rococo of numerous mythical creatures, divine entities and delicate scrolls of floral foliage and firmly delineated geometric patterns – thus there is the voluptuous, four-headed, four-armed Goddess Chamundeshwari in the center, painted flawless white and exuding divine tranquility, seated upon a symbolically unyielding divine throne surrounded by three semicircular rings composed respectively of beautiful swans, formidable elephants and divine followers and servants of the Goddess symbolizing in their turn insurmountable strength, elegant grace and unbending faith – this whole scene emanating on either side from the wide-fanged mouth of a lumbering mythical “Makara” (entities possessing the body of a fish, the face and tusks of an elephant, the limbs of a lion and the tail of a peacock) and surrounded by a resplendently beautiful bouquet of delicate flourishes of foliage before eventually culminating at the very apex into the vicious jaws of a massive “Kirtimukha” (the ferociously wide fanged, lion-like face of an all-consuming demon conceived and originated out of thin air by Lord Shiva, the God of death and destruction, to destroy other, mightier demons) who is flanked on either side by another “Makara”, these however very different from the earlier ones in that these are physically composed of the body of a tortoise, the face of a fish, the teeth of a lion, the tusks of an elephants, the wings of an eagle and the extremely long curved tail of a bird of paradise!

Monumental!

But the vivid blossoming of poetry in stone and plasterwork does not cease here – punctuating the monotony of the brilliant yellow walls are tiny alcove shrines inset with miniaturized sculptures pertaining to numerous mythological aspects and incarnations of the Goddess, each bearing in her numerous arms numerous destructive weapons (mace, swords, battleaxes, tridents, lightening thunder and so on) and astride a beast (an elephant, a bull, a mythical Makara etc) – each an exemplar not only of unparalleled sculptural art, but also of tremendously excellent ancient mythological fables. And then there is a large, brightly colored, multihued sculpture of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed, pot-bellied God of auspiciousness, good beginnings and knowledge, embossed over the massive front entrance. Lastly, facing the temple building and a score meters or so away from it stands its immensely renowned, instantly recognized, dark-humoredly comical, massive 16-feet tall representation of Mahishasura, the buffalo-demon warlord whose illustrious story is retold time and again in epic scriptures in order to stress upon the ever-fruitful power of redemption and the generously forgiving nature of the mother Goddess. It is said that Mahishasura was born from the copulation of a demon and a woman cursed to exist as a buffalo (“Mahishi”) and thus could easily transform to either appearance; moreover he possessed immense physical and meditative strength that was a result of extreme penances that he undertook to impress Gods into granting him boons, thus ensuring his near invincibility. In his arrogance, when he challenged and vanquished the Gods from heavens, the unparalleled rage exhibited by the trinity of Hindu deity pantheon – Brahma (the God of universal creation and knowledge), Vishnu (the God of life and nourishment) and Shiva (the God of death and destruction) – merged together to invoke the primordial sacred feminine, all-consuming, universal energy from which emerged the splendidly radiant Goddess Durga (another divinely interconnected sister-form of Goddess Chamundeshwari) who was then equipped with battle gear and weapons by all the chief Gods and Goddesses so she could take the field against Mahishasura’s massive legions which she did with such inconceivable fury and armed with such terrible weaponry in each of her numerous arms that all three worlds shook with her rage and many demon chiefs dropped dead with fear.

Comical!

She and her fierce lion annihilated the entire demon army including mighty Mahishasura himself, but tradition holds that before his death, the demon king worshipped the Goddess and impressed her into conferring the honor of having him present everywhere where she is prayed to – thus even today, every Durga idol is depicted in the “Mahishasuramardini” (“Mahishasura slayer”) form with the Goddess's lion straddling a prostrate/dead buffalo and her glittering trident piercing the demon’s muscular body – here of course, instead of the ubiquitous “Mahishasuramardini”, we have the sword brandishing, serpent-whirling, flamboyant Mahishasura himself in his full mustached, slick-haired, hilariously colorful glory. This of course has to do with the beyond-belief interesting fact that somewhere down the line implausibly far-fetched mythology incredibly merged with emotionless history and an exciting legend originated that stated that the demon lord Mahishasura, also otherwise spelled as Mahishasuru, actually reigned from a fortified capital located at Mysore which derives its original nomenclature “Mysuru” from the former!

Apart from the shrine’s impeccable mythological associations and the unrelentingly strong faith that millions of faithful devotees have on the Goddess’ ability to shower blessings of health, auspiciousness and prosperity (despite the very fact that symbolically she is actually the personification of death, degeneration, disease and pestilence!), the place doesn’t have a lot to offer in terms of visual compositions and/or observation and learning – besides being a testimony to its far-flung renown, the very fact that there are always several hundreds of devotees literally spilling through the seams of the complex’s peripheries also proves that one can be assured of an absurdly long time spent miserably lined up in an extremely long slowly slithering queue along with the combination of perspiration, frustration, pushing and shoving that comes along with it free of cost (unless of course one pays for a moderately long or an immediate (well, almost!) “VIP” queue – the two cost Rs 30 and Rs 100 per person respectively).

An enduring testimony to the skills of the craftsmen of yore

The bus ride to the apex of the hill does offer some pretty thrilling, greenery-enthused scenes overlooking the entire landscape of Mysore; moreover the 1,000 meter ascent through the curving snaking road at considerable speeds does leave one breathless and apprehensive about toppling down the hill side, besides the surprising ear-popping sensation often otherwise experienced during flight landings – definitely reason enough to prefer a bus ride over climbing the 1,000 steps leading to the summit. But then again, the climb up does take one past the 5 meter tall, 7.5 meter long ornately carved, devotedly deified, monolithic granite sculpture of the bull Nandi, the mount of Lord Shiva and a patron of spirituality and religious dedication.

I had expected the magnificent shrine to be a rather simplistic affair vis-à-vis the grand, opulently decorated exemplars of south Indian temple architecture that I have previously visited – in fact, the journey to the shrine was little more than an effort to tick off another “Shakti Peetha” off the list of edifices, religious and otherwise, that I intend to visit across the entire country (hopefully in this lifetime!) – little did I know that not the shrine but its superlatively graceful entrance tower will steal my heart instead! What surprises me the most is the fact that despite its centuries-old architectural and symbolic heritage and millennia-old religious customs, the shrine is not untouched by the all-consuming winds of modernization and global connectivity – it has begun to offer sixteen religious services, including the worship of the deity, online to millions of devotees throughout the world, of course for a cost! The ubiquitous “ladoo prasad” (the offering of excessively sweet, clarified butter drenched corn flour balls) would afterwards be delivered to the devotees home via mail. Instant religious gratification! Sadly Cash on Delivery is not applicable.

Religion and silver - A combination as old as either

Location: Chamundi Hills
How to reach: Regular to and fro bus service is available from different parts of the city for the hill summit.
Open: All days, 7.30 am – 2 pm, 3.30 – 6 p.m and 7.30 – 9 pm
Free meals for devotees from 12.30 – 2.30 pm.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: Depends on the queue preferred (Normal/VIP/VVIP). The VIP queue (costs Rs 30/person) takes approximately 30-40 min to reach the sanctum from the peripheries on a normal day.
Note – The shrine being a place of worship, visitors are advised to dress conservatively. Footwear are to be left behind at one of the numerous makeshift shops/counters across the road for the modest sum of Rs 5 per pair.
Relevant Links -
Other monuments located in/around Mysore -

1. Pixelated Memories - Mysore Palace
2. Pixelated Memories - Seringapatnam

Other Shakti Peethas located in the country -

1. Pixelated Memories - Kalighat Temple, Bengal
2. Pixelated Memories - Kamakhya Temple, Assam
3. Pixelated Memories - Kankalitala Shaktipeetha, Bengal

Suggested reading -

1. Chamundeshwaritemple.kar.nic.in (Official website of the temple)
2. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com - Article "Chamundeshwari temple of Mysore offers 16 sevas online" (dated Sep 01, 2013) by Lawrence Milton 
3. Wikipedia.org - Chamunda

Sri Pataleshwara Temple, Belur, Karnataka

“Travel makes a wise man better, and a fool worse.”

– Thomas Fuller, 17th-century British writer-historian

In the shadow of the massive, ethereally magnificent Sri Chennakesava temple complex in the beautifully idyllic township of Belur sits an irredeemably forgotten, incorrigibly damaged and irreversibly mutated shrine transformed irrevocably into a melange of brilliant new and tarnished old that does little justice to the ruined remnants of its original unparalleled medieval ornamentation and spatial structure. This is the diminutive, squat temple dedicated to the "Pataleshwara" aspect (“Lord of the Netherworld”) of Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of death and destruction – barely heralded by a whitewashed traffic square indicating its presence and a sum total of zero presence on the internet, the small square shrine visually appears to be a beautiful exemplar of the unsurpassed architecture conceived and commissioned by the Hoysala Dynasty and displays similar remarkable architectural and artistic features including an overspilling profusion of dexterously carved, highly ornamented sculptures, a spatially stellar geometric structure and a dense abundance of mythological and mythical entities, deities and anthropomorphic creatures. It is however not documented when the temple was constructed or who financed it.

Sri Pataleswara Temple - A confusing assortment of medieval ruins and modern fixtures

The sculptures are skillfully carved, the hallowed canopies surmounting them and the scrollwork bands of floral foliage that surround them are delicately detailed and the miniaturization of the features, be it the jeweled ornamentation of the divine draperies or the smaller figurines of inconsequential musician-dancers and celestial followers, is in itself unearthly. Yet the figurines and the temple’s numerous features visually portray an eventful, malicious past which entailed irretrievable injury and mutilation to them at the hands of brutally iconoclast Muslim armies originating either from the mighty, territorially supreme Delhi Sultanate (ruled AD 1192-1526) or the southern sovereign Bahamani Sultanate (ruled Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, AD 1347-1527). The shrine appears to have been irreversibly wrecked and what presently exists in its place is a framework of glistening white marble supporting in its midst the devastated remains of the original hallowed entity. There still exist, albeit surrounded and flanked by a redeeming skeleton of flawless white marble that does not even structurally adhere to the unusual configuration of the original graceful temple, the artistically superior doorjambs vividly blossoming into an intricately convoluted sculptural rococo depicting Lord Shiva dancing ecstatically to the tune of the celestial musicians flanking him amidst an eye-opening visual composition of sophisticated floral scrollwork and wave flourishes bearing as their apex the vicious jaws of a “Kirtimukha” (the ferociously wide fanged, lion-like face of an all-consuming demon conceived and originated out of thin air by Lord Shiva to destroy other, mightier demons) and eventually culminating in an elephantine mythical “Makara” on either side of the lintel whose skin and tail too transform into a sophisticated embellishment of foliage and elaborate artwork.

Poetry in stone (V3.0)

Embossed upon layers of elaborate foliage and geometric patterns once more culminating into fierce Kirtimukhas and horrendous skulls, are spellbinding realistic and artistically evocative sculptures of celestial guards and yak tail-bearers possessing tridents and drums wrapped with layers upon layers of serpentine foliage, draped with extremely fine jewelry and headgear that one would have been hard pressed to even be able to carve in soap and yet those tremendously skilled sculptors of yore crafted in stone. Lastly, there exists an array of divine figurines, predominantly Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu (the Hindu God of life and nourishment) and their varied incarnations and aspects, most prominent among them once more being “Gajasurasamhara”/“Gajacharmambaradhari”, that portrays a sixteen-armed combative depiction of Lord Shiva wielding numerous weapons of death and devastation while dancing blissfully upon the decapitated head of the slain elephant-demon Gajasura whose flayed hide he triumphantly raises and brandishes as an enormous cloak while his family and followers gaze wide-eyed terrified and deferential. Opposite the shrine sits a brand new black granite statue of the bull Nandi, the mount of Lord Shiva and a patron of spirituality and religious dedication, reflecting the occasional explosive bursts of sunlight that escape the impenetrable veil of dark purple-black clouds traversing the atmosphere overhead. The shrine itself is surmounted by a large glittering glimmering marble statue of Lord Shiva and a layered, domed roof that would have been tremendously hard-pressed to prove its similarity to the immensely long pyramidal spires that crowned the Hoysala shrines.

"Gajasurasamhara" - The ecstasy of a triumphant God (V3.0)

While one notices the mutilation of limbs and the destruction of facial features and animal figurines undertaken by the Muslim armies, one also cannot fail to notice that the shrine has been converted to a translucent parody of itself, displaying prominently its original ornamentation and yet effectively failing to be evocative or resplendent in its present tastelessly ostentatious appearance – couldn’t it have been better preserved for what it was? Wouldn’t those sculptures and carved arrays have appeared several times more mesmerizing and visually appealing without the gaudy application of tons of unmatched marble that merely succeeds in bringing its despoliation and embarrassment to the surface instead of compensating it structurally or spiritually? Couldn't the ruins have been preserved as they were? One wonders if a centuries old shrine can be transformed thus right under the nose of one of the most enthralling temple complexes in the subcontinent, a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site, then what about the unexplored, undocumented and nameless millions of medieval shrines and architectural/artistic paradigms scattered throughout the vast country?

Glitter!

Location: About 500 meters from Belur Bus stop, Hassan district (Coordinates: 13°09'46.3"N 75°51'49.6"E) 
Open: All days, sunrise to sunset
How to reach: Hassan is accessible from different parts of Karnataka by regular KSRTC bus and Indian Railways train services. It is approximately 180 kilometers or five hours away by road from Bangalore. From Hassan, Belur is located about 42 kilometers or roughly one hour away by bus at the end of a journey that does take one on certain thoroughly pockmarked stretches of road winding through hill-flanked barren plains and fields. Regular buses ply between Hassan and Belur throughout the day.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 30 min
Remarks – Footwear is not allowed inside the temple complex and can be left outside the courtyard.
Another temple located in Belur - Pixelated Memories - Sri Chennakesava Temple complex, Belur
Another temple located in Hassan district -Pixelated Memories - Hoysaleswara Temple complex, Halebidu

Mysore Palace, Mysore

"We are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven,

That which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

– Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses"

It was with memories of Delhi's unparalleled historicity, inimitable visual settings and unsurpassed monumental and architectural heritage that I made my way towards Mysore, the city of majestic palaces and exceedingly affluent Maharajas, and realized that the beautiful city – with its exceptional palaces, splendid gardens, delectable food, unequaled crafts and sculptural streetscape – can never possibly disappoint me.

A hundred years ago, in the years 1897-1912, inspired by an urge for the facilitation of posterity, Wadiyars/Wodeyars, the prosperous and far-sighted Maharajas of Mysore/Karnataka, constructed in the heart of the city at the exact location where an earlier wood palace existed and burnt to ground a magnificent palace christened "Ambavilas", whose numerous domed towers dominated the skyline and the stories of whose unimaginably rich opulence traveled far and wide. The emblematic palace complex, commissioned by H.H. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (reign AD 1894-1940) at the insistence of his mother Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhana and designed by the renowned British architect Henry Irwin in the unique Indo-Saracenic style (which involves an aesthetic infusion of traditional Indian architectural features to an otherwise largely Gothic/Victorian building plan) has since come to be considered as a remarkable exemplar of the building style and is, both as an exceedingly important heritage and visual feature, impossibly hard to miss as soon as one steps within the expansive city. The structure was further expanded by Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (reign 1940-50, following which he signed the instrument for the assimilation of the state of Mysore in the Republic of India) to its present majestic proportions.

Grace, granite and symmetry

Stepping through the ornate southern gateway, intensely decorated with elaborate plasterwork patterns culminating into numerous motifs, overhanging ornamental windows ("jharokhas") and sculptures of Hindu deities, one comes face to face with the mammoth palace diagonally visible. The feeling of excitement at witnessing the beautiful gateways and the intricately carved massive temple complexes that are scattered throughout the complex (including immediately opposite the gateway just a few steps within the complex periphery) spontaneously gives way to disbelief – the colossal three-storied palace looms indomitable in the distance, the subdued simplicity and graceful curves of the sunlight-yellow temples embedded along its sides and the flanking cream-yellow tinged with white ancillary buildings harmoniously contrasting and lending a masculine footing to the astounding magnificence of the splendid gray-red granite front facade – one realizes that none of the photos seen online or any of the stories about the structure's opulence can do justice to the marvel it really is. The inspiringly symmetrical facade with its nine giant arches (of which two slightly narrower ones flank the central) and the numerous smaller ones stretching along the ground floor are terminated by the soaring five-storied corner towers that are surmounted by onion domes whose vibrant pink-red tinge glimmers against the brilliant blue of Mysore's sky; the center, crowned by a complicated golden dome that sits on an enormously high and narrow base and supports upon itself a domed kiosk, is surrounded by clusters of smaller ornamental "chattris" (onion domes surmounted upon slender decorative pillars) and is further outlined against the breathtaking symmetry of the roof and the line of arches by a curved, gently upraised shrine housing in its bosom a beautiful sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth and prosperity being showered with milk and nectar by two impeccably carved elephants. To the credit and genius of the the architect and his team of builders, the visual depiction is unbelievably flawless, undeniably fascinating. In the distant background rise the sheer peaks of the renowned Chamundi Hills.

Delicate - The southern gateway, presently used for tourist entry

Heading closer to the palace building, one comes face to face, through an obstructive veil of ungainly net that keeps the birds away, with the alluringly detailed artwork adorning the numerous (slightly perceptibly) curved concave surfaces of the roof that stretch between each of the giant arches – the central one depicts, within an inconceivably excellent paintwork design consisting of peacocks strutting amidst numerous floral and vegetative motifs, a vivid blue expansive sky, interspersed with zodiac constellations and angels and cherubs. In the center of the unblemished blue blossoms a gigantic, resplendent, multi-petalled flower, whose center is divided into quarters, three of which illustrate the three supreme omnipresent, omnipotent Hindu deities – Brahma (the God of creation and learning and the progenitor of all soul and matter) seated with the two forms of his consort Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge, learning and music) upon the celestial swan, Vishnu (the Lord of life and nourishment) seated with his consort Lakshmi (the Goddess of wealth and auspiciousness) upon the primal seven-headed serpent deity Sheshnaga and Shiva (the Lord of death and destruction) and his consort Parvati (Goddess of love, feminine fertility and devotion) flanked by their sons Kartikeya (the young God of war and victory) and Ganesha (the elephant-headed, pot-bellied God of auspiciousness). The fourth quarter depicts the eight-armed benevolent Goddess Durga astride her mighty lion – legend is that the nomenclature "Mysore/Mysuru" is derived from "Mahishasura", an incredible powerful demon lord endowed with immense physical and spiritual strength and sorcery who could exist either in human or buffalo form and was eventually slayed by the Goddess after he unquestionably defeated the divine armies and set them back with irreversible losses. Wadiyars consider the Goddess, or rather her alternate form Chamundeshwari (the fearsome primordial feminine spirit who revels in bloodbath and necromancy), as their patron mother deity. Though equally immersed in the intricacies of the artwork and impressed by its colorful grandeur, one doesn't as yet even begin to imagine a minute fraction of the palace's splendor nor conceive its overall awe-inspiring visual magnificence and aesthetic superiority. Nonetheless, Amir Khusro's famous quote comes to mind instantaneously –

“Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o, hameen ast-o, hameen ast”

("If there is a paradise on earth, It is this, it is this, it is this")

Paradise on earth?

The entrance to the palace is through a passageway on the other side, where, before proceeding any further, one has to take off one's footwear and deposit them at one of the numerous counters over which painted in capital, bold white against indig background are the words "Free Counters/Don't pay tips" (but then, it being India and rules being necessarily violable, the shoe keepers did ask for tips when I returned at the end of the day to collect my shoes – I did not pay, of course). On the ground floor exist two individualistic but interconnected stunning passages which together constitute a viewing gallery christened as "Gombe Thotti" ("Doll pavilion") and where housed within glass frames are numerous traditional Indian dolls dating from 19th-20th century along with several ceremonial objects, richly dressed, finely adorned sculptures of Hindu deities and royal regalia such as elephant "howdahs" (huge royal pavilions that used to be mounted on elephants for the King and his kin to sit in during processions and religious ceremonies) decorated with several score kilograms of gold.

Chiseled to perfection - One of the several jaguar sculptures that dot the palace complex

Wedged between the two passages is an enormously vast and immensely high double-storied octagonal chamber supported upon slender ornamental fluted pillars and sheltered from the elements by perplexingly beautiful stained glass windows whose numerous vibrantly colorful patterns mirror the mesmerizing beauty of peacock tails and are reflected in the outstanding multi-hued geometric-patterned kaleidoscopic mosaic that adorn the floor. The chamber, remarkably conceived, designed and crafted in its entirety in Scotland and referred to as "Kalyana Mantapa", functions as the religio-ceremonial hall of the royal family and is where all the marriages, christening ceremonies and birthday parties are organized. Impressive passageways running along the sides, demarcated from the central functional area by another line of pillars (this time considerably thicker, elaborately ornamented and supporting amongst themselves rows of arches that append additional grace and depth of character to the luxurious chamber) are lined with several elegant paintings of which some portray mythological scenes from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and others the erstwhile splendor of the majestic palace and its numerous regal ceremonies, including the renowned Dussehra/Dasara processions.

Behold stone peacocks - The Kalyana Mantapa (Photo courtesy - Mysorepalace.gov.in)

Up a staircase past the second half of the viewing pavilion and through intricately, painstakingly crafted silver doors (outside which rests an extremely realistic life-size plaster sculpture of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV seated upon a chair) embedded with streams of floral artwork delineating numerous panels portraying divine images, one reaches the enormous "Diwan-i-Aam" (Public Durbar Hall) from whose massive balconies the King used to appear before his subjects on public occasions and ceremonies – it is a visual composition that the eye cannot fully contemplate and the mind cannot possibly forget – the warm profusion of gold, cream-orange and red soothes the eye and the extraordinary symmetry afforded by the seemingly limitless rows upon rows of highly embellished fluted pillars extending throughout the massive rectangular hall, supporting in their midst cusp arches adorned with an inexhaustible array of embossed stucco geometric patterns, floral bouquets and divine figurines and providing both structural support and visual composure to the numerous equally decorated concave surfaces along which are aligned rows of overhanging chandeliers sprouting from bases resembling golden floral outbursts in their entire magnificent glory, uplifts the weary spirits. The aforementioned minutely concave roofs stretching far beyond the confines of the hallway, decorated with representations of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and heavenly constellations, can now be visualized in their complete eminence since there is no net impeding the view – one realizes that it was the Diwan-i-Aam that one witnessed from the ground level and feels supremely wonderful as comprehension dawns that earlier one noticed the stupendous structure through the eyes of a common visitor, a view that hasn't witnessed any change in the hundred years or so since the palace's construction and would have been easily recognizable to those subjects, rich and poor, young and old, strong and frail, who would have clamored to set eyes on the Maharaja's regal abode soon after its construction was completed, and now one looks at the unprecedented monumental immensity through the eyes of the Maharajas themselves! The arched alcoves existing along the furthest wall of the exalted hall are embedded with vivacious paintings of Hindu deities most of which were conceived and executed by the renowned artist Raja Ravi Varma (lived 1848-1906).

Limitless - The Diwan-i-Aam (Public Audience Hall)

Connected to the Diwan-i-Aam via a long, dark, perennially crowded picture gallery fringed throughout with photographs and portraits of the erstwhile Maharajas and their families in distinguished attire and lavish settings, is the Mahraja's Private Durbar Hall or "Diwan-i-Khas", a beyond description resplendently ornate chamber bejeweled throughout its surface with copious quantities of gold, crystal glass and semi-precious stones. The luxurious chamber is supported upon and divided into portions by fluted pillars structurally not very different from those of the Diwan-i-Aam except in the exterior adornment which boasts of an abundantly luxurious finish of gold paint fringed with slightly off-blue highlights that only seem to magnify the overall visual impact of the gold to an extent where one cannot easily take one's eyes off the numerous embossed motifs and mosaic work. The scene is unblemished and spellbinding, to say the least; the chandeliers, their incandescent light reflected and refracted into infinite number of rays by crystalline glass that forms their core, further serve to maximize the optical composition and the perception of extravagant opulence and self-indulgence. This was the only room where the policemen didn't let me photograph the interiors (photography is prohibited in its entirety within the palace!), elsewhere they were kind to allow me to click 2-3 quick snapshots of the chambers upon hearing that I need them to write this particular article (permission is rarely, if ever, granted and it is highly advisable to ask for the same before clicking away berserk since numerous CCTV cameras are positioned along the walls and pillars of each of the rooms and passageways). Had the incredulous visitors who were incredibly crammed into the narrow picture gallery known that such a wonderful sight awaited them afterwards, they wouldn't have proceeded so unbelievably slowly through the passageway! (Yes, I'm very impatient and I hate standing in queues unnecessarily!)

The Maharaja's extravagant gold throne that is assembled annually in the Diwan-i-Khas Hall during Dussehra celebrations (Photo courtesy - Thehindu.com)

On the way out, after collecting one's footwear, one is directed to a narrow open courtyard flanked on one side by a museum depicting the Maharajas' affluent lifestyle and possessions and on the other by a small private temple, dedicated to the mythological Krishna (a flamboyant cowherd-king-statesman-warrior-philosopher who supposedly lived over 5,000 years ago and is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu), that is surmounted by a fairly moderately-sized, intricately sculpted pyramidal spire within an alcove of which is set an incredibly realistic sculpture of the God himself flanked by one of his beloved cows and playing his divine flute. The Wadiyars claim descent from Krishna and the temple was commissioned by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (reign AD 1734-66) who felt distressed at the absence of a temple dedicated to the former within the periphery of the palace that originally existed here. The courtyard opens to a wider green patch enclosed within a perimeter where patrons can avail for camel and elephant rides – it had been awhile since I saw an elephant and clicked happily for almost a quarter of the hour! For a little extra money besides that paid for the ride, one can even have one's photo clicked with the tip of the elephant's trunk resting on one's head in a manner characterizing divine elephantine blessings!

An entirely unexpected surprise!

One has left the huge sunlight-yellow temple complexes that dot the palace grounds for the last and now one comes face to face with the first of them – Sri Lakshmiramana Swamy temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu and housing in its exalted sanctum a black-faced gold sculpture of the God along with several smaller brass representations. At the very outset, all three major temple complexes within the palace circumference – Sri Lakshmiramana Swamy temple, Sri Varaha Swamy temple and Chamundeshwari temple – possess the same external appearance with an exactly identical massive pyramidal towering gateway divided into seven individualistic levels, each of which, except the first and last, is set in the center with large twin portrayals of the Lord's gatekeepers flanked by geometric multi-tiered projections surmounted by mythological symbolism that run throughout the length of each level. This is where the similarities end. The Lakshmiramana temple, said to be the oldest temple in the city and constructed in AD 1499, is set within a considerably smaller circumference as compared to the other two, possibly owing to its immediate proximity to the palace complex's mammoth and highly symmetrical horizontal spatial projection. The central shrine, around which run the high-raised, simplistically whitewashed colonnades that facilitate circumbulation ("Parikrama") of the deity, proves to be even more gorgeous than the imposing gateway and (if your heart is into sculptural art and ancient architectural heritage like mine is) the grandiose palace – the rectangular structure's roof, again painted sunlight-yellow in uniformity with the peerless gateway and the boundary walls and supported upon simplistically carved granite pillars, is an epitome of stucco plasterwork culminating into arrays of small, highly embellished pyramidal spires, each inset with an alcove inside which stands a different incarnation of Lord Vishnu (my favorite remains that of the anthropomorphic Varaha – the boar-faced, four-armed God who rescued the Earth Goddess Bhudevi from a demon who had carried her to the bottom of the cosmic ocean) and decorated with numerous geometrical and floral motifs, peacocks, vines bursting into floral blossoms, mythological and mythical creatures and dwarf demonic figurines. The immediate perimeter of the relatively smaller sanctum located on the far-side of the shrine is surmounted by a substantially larger double-storied spire, again similarly designed and sculpted except with the singular exception of possessing large lions (which realistically do not resemble lions at all, a phenomena repeated in almost all the temple and palace complexes in south India, thereby prompting many architectural and cultural historians to conjecture that lions never existed here and the sculptors/artists never ever set eyes on them, therefore leading to such deformed representations) seated at each of its extremities.

Juxtaposed - Sri Lakshmiramana temple's spire and (background) gateway

Decorative sculptural panels crafted out of sheer stone compose the doorjambs and lintel in which is embedded the gateway leading to the sanctum – on the lintel is the depiction of Anantashayi Vishnu (Lord Vishnu reclining upon the endless seven-hooded serpent deity Anant Sheshanaga) being venerated by his two wives Lakshmi and Bhudevi. In a departure from the otherwise yellow color scheme, the exterior and interior walls of the sanctum are whitewashed and bear plasterwork embossments of a three-illustration cluster – a "V" sign with a vertical line dividing it into two halves (where the "V" and the line are emblematic of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi respectively) flanked by depictions of Lord Vishnu's "Sudarshana Chakra" (serrated spinning disc weapon) and "Panchajanya" (divine conch shell) – symbolically portraying reverence to Lord Vishnu. Apart from the garlanded and silk-wrapped gold and brass idols within the sanctum, a smaller shrine embedded within the wall near the entrance gateway houses a silk-wrapped, black stone sculpture of Maharaja Shri Raja Wadiyar I (reign AD 1578-1617) himself – possibly he had something to do with the commissioning or expansion of the temple complex, which till date remains testimony to the unparalleled skill of the medieval architects and artisans, though the priests officiating here seemed to know next to nothing about the complex and could only enlighten me by divulging that the temple is supposedly ancient and was constructed by the very first Kings of the Wadiyar lineage. One legend states that a half-blind devotee was cured of his condition within the temple precincts at the intercession of Raja Wadiyar I! I find that hard to believe, but then that is the thing about lore, you can choose to believe or not to, but they continue to persist in the atmosphere and influence the way one looks at history and even architecture.

Details! - Gateway - Sri Varaha Swamy temple complex

The Varaha Swamy and Chamundeshwari temples, again exactly identical in their external appearance and located opposite each other along the front face extremities of the palace complex, were for some reason closed that particular time (possibly, it, being afternoon, was time for the presiding deities to rest), but the officiating priests in the Varaha Swamy temple (again dedicated to the veneration of Lord Vishnu) granted me the permission to wander around and photograph the temple complex and the shrine as long as I did not disturb the deep-red velvety curtain that now engulfed the sanctum. The temple complex, painted the usual brilliant yellow, is considerably larger than the Lakshmiramana Swamy temple and, besides the similar seven-tiered ornately chiseled gateway and whitewashed, simplistically-pillared colonnades circumbulating the central shrine, also possesses as a fringe around the extended roof those telltale rows of delicate pyramidal serrated spires with the alcove and the plasterwork figurine of the Lord's incarnations. The major difference from the other shrines being that the plasterwork sculptures inset within the alcoves are additionally intricately detailed and therefore rendered many times more captivating.

A tribute to the Lord - A stucco figurine, inset along one of the sides of Sri Varaha Swamy temple

Also the larger pyramidal spire surmounting the sanctum is a study in architecture involving immensely straight lines converging to a common pinnacle and in the process culminating into a fascinatingly detailed, highly elongated and extremely straight pyramid the monotony of whose vertical dimensions are punctuated by grooves and contours running horizontally against its surface and the smaller ridges and miniature shrines fashioned against its otherwise flawless surface. Standing in close proximity to the spire and eying its glistening yellow summit that seems to spontaneously and without premonition rise from the black-grey granite base as if of its own free volition without in any way disturbing the continuity of the pattern work lines and edges, one miraculously feels transported to the fictional space age where such numerous ridges and lines and incomprehensible motifs might have been commonplace. Interestingly, the frieze above the entrance gateway is decorated with a fairly colorful, well endowed and garlanded sculptural scene depicting Lord Rama, his three brothers, his wife Sita and his faithful friend Hanuman, the powerful monkey God. The interior walls too of the inadequately lit shrine display an amazing variety of vibrant, multi-hued mural artwork which, owing to their appreciable deterioration and flaking, appears to be quite vintage. Even more surprising is the presence of scenes from the epic Ramayana war where Lord Rama, the ideal son-husband-brother-friend-king-warrior-incarnation of Vishnu-and-who-knows-what-else, battled against the monstrous armies of the demon Lord Ravana who is often depicted as a ten-headed, twenty-armed, grotesquely mustached warlord wielding the bow and arrow with supreme efficiency and unsurpassed lethality – though both Varaha and Rama are considered incarnations of Lord Vishnu and supposedly (read mythically) existed in separate eons, one would have expected a temple dedicated to Lord Varaha Swamy to depict paintings related to his life and times instead of his successor separated by millions of years.

An escape from modernity - Sri Varaha Swamy temple's spire and (background) gateway

The complex, though belonging to the royal family, is managed by the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the Government of Karnataka which conserves and restores the interiors as deemed necessary, manages the tourists and the facilities made available to them therein and maintains the exteriors, the gigantic gardens and the numerous sculptures that exist throughout the estate. Recently, following allegations of corruption and the use of substandard materials in a conservation effort, the Government created a new post of Palace Board Director that will be handled by a state-level administrative officer. The Government also sponsors the annual 10-day long extravagant celebrations that are observed on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Dussehra/Dasara/Vijay Dashami (which have been a tradition since 1610) during which the entire complex is decorated, brilliantly lit up and converted into a host for a range of cultural and religious programs. An idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari is worshiped in the palace by the royal priests during this 10-day period following which, on the day of Dussehra, it is taken on a round of the entire city on the back of a massive, richly-adorned elephant. If one cannot make it to the palace grounds during Dussehra festivities, hope still abounds – it is advisable to visit the palace complex on a Sunday morning and top it off with a return visit in the evening when each of the structures within, including the gateways and the temples, are outlined with millions of incandescent bulbs that, much to the wide-eyed amazement and bewilderment of onlookers, glitter and glimmer against the background of sheer dark blue-black skies that further magnify the mesmerizing effect. The overall picture presented by the illuminated multi-storied structures is resplendently spellbinding, to be seen to be believed!

I wouldn't have missed it for anything!

Open: All days, 10 am – 5:30 pm
Entrance fees: Indians: Rs 40; Foreigners: Rs 200; Free entry for children below 7 years of age and Rs 25 entry charge for children between the age 7-12. Extra charges applicable for audio guides, elephant/camel rides and visit to the museum.
Palace illumination: Every Sunday and all Government holidays, 7 – 7:45 pm, Free entry during the illumination window.
Sound and Light show: All days expect Sundays and Government holidays, 7 – 7:45 pm, Same entrance charges applicable as day entry.
Photography/Video charges: Nil. Prohibited within the palace building.
Note: Footwear have to be removed prior to entering the palace building or any of the numerous temple complexes within the precincts.
Facilities available: Washrooms, drinking water, audio guides and souvenir counters within the palace building.
Other palaces in Karnataka –

1. Pixelated Memories - Bangalore Palace, Bangalore
2. Pixelated Memories - Nandi Hills (Nandidurga fortress and Tipu Sultan's palace), Chikkaballapur

Suggested reading –

1. Business-standard.com - Article "Government tightens grip over Mysore Palace" (dated July 6, 2014) 
2. Dailymail.co.uk - Article "Four hundred-year-old 'curse' returns to haunt Wadiyar royals" (dated Dec 11, 2013) by Vanu Dev 
3. Deccanherald.com - Article "Mysore palace private durbar on, but a change in tradition likely" (dated Sep 8, 2014) 
4. Deccanherald.com - Article "Mysore palace will complete 100 years next year" (dated May 8, 2015) by Ravindra Bhat 
5. Mysorepalace.gov.in (Official website of Mysore Palace)
6. Thehindu.com - Article "An empty throne this Dasara" (dated Sep 18, 2014) by R. Krishna Kumar 
7. Wikipedia.org - Chamunda 
8. Wikipedia.org - Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV
9. Wikipedia.org - Wadiyar Dynasty