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Chaturanga

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Chaturanga

Tag Archives: Hoysala

Wandering Around Tamil Country

01 Mon Feb 2016

Posted by Jaideep A. Prabhu in Society, Travelogue

≈ Comments Off on Wandering Around Tamil Country

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acharya, Airavateshwara Temple, ananda tandava, bael, Bauddhayana, bhikshatana, brahman, brihad lingam, Brihadeeshwara Temple, Cauvery, Chandramaulishwara, Chidambara Rahasyam, Chidambaram, Chidambaram Mahatmyam, Chittrambalam, Chola, Coleroon, Dakshinamurthy, Darasuram, darshan, Darubanna, Divakaram, Divya Desam, Ganga, gopura, Hoysala, Hyder Ali, Ibn Battuta, India, jambu lingam, Kakatiya, Kampaheshwara Temple, Kampaheswarar Temple, karana, Keezh Ambalam, Krishnappa Nayak, Kulothunga II, Kulothunga III, Kumbakonam, lingam, Mahishasuramardini, Malik Kafur, Mohini, Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Muyalaka, Nataraja, Natya Shastra, Nayaka, Nayanar, nishkala thirumeni, Orlov diamond, Paadal Petra Sthalam, Palaiyarai, Pallava, pancha bootha, pancha sabhai, Pandya, Patanjali, prakara, Rajaraja Chola, Rajarajapuram, Rajendra Chola, Ramanuja, sakala thirumeni, sakala-nishkala thirumeni, Shaiva, Shiva, Shivacharya, Shwetavarman, Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam, swayambhu kshetra, Tamil Nadu, tandava, Tanjan, Tevaram, thaanana thirumeni, Thanjavur, Thetri Ambalam, Thillai Nataraja Temple, tilak, Tipu Sultan, Tiruchitrakoodam, travelogue, Tribhuvanam, tripundra, Ulugh Khan, UNESCO, Vaishnava, Vengi, vibhuti, Vijayanagara, vimana, vishishtadvaita, Vishnu, Vishnudurga, Vyagrapada, World Heritage Site, yantra

Of late, wandering around Tamil Nadu seems to have become a hobby of mine. And who can blame me – with a rich heritage and dozens of stunning temples, it would take months to even cursorily pass by just the major sites. Some time around the Gregorian New Year, I had felt the call of Thillai Koothan; with that as the primary target, I persuaded my friends into a trip into Tamil country.

TripChidambaram is a small and rather unimpressive town with a population of about 60,000 not more than 15 kms inland from the Coromandel coast. It is about 235 kms south of Madras, the state capital, and connected by road as well as by rail. Though Tamil Nadu generally has fairly good albeit narrow roads, the roads on the approach to Chidambaram are quite rough. Anyone planning to drive in should factor in at least an extra hour to hour and half for the last 40 kms or so. The nearest airport, for those coming in from afar, is Tiruchirappalli, about 150 kms away; this, however, does not spare you from the last stretch of bumpy roads unless rail is availed.

Historically, Chidambaram has gone through three names – its ancient name was Thillai, after the mangrove trees of the Excoecaria Agallocha species that grow in the area. The second name, Puliyur or Perumpatrapuliyur, has mythical origins: it is said to derive from Vyagrapada, one of the two saints – the other was Patanjali – who came to Thillai to witness Shiva’s cosmic dance and to pray to him on the banks of a nearby lotus pond. Puliyur means ‘tiger town,’ after the saint whose name meant ‘tiger-footed.’ The third name and by which we know the town today, Chidambaram, means ‘ocean of consciousness.’ Chit means consciousness in Sanskrit and ambaram means ether. However, the scholarly consensus does not accept such a simple translation. It is argued – with some justification – that Chidambaram is a Sanskritised version of the Tamil name, Chittrambalam, which means the ambalam (or stage) placed at a lower pedestal (Keezh Ambalam). The ancient Tamil lexicon, Divakaram, defines Tiruchitrakoodam (the Vishnu Shrine within the temple complex) as Thetri Ambalam. Tamil scholars opine that this refers to the Vishnu shrine being present at a higher pedestal (Maettu Ambalam), while the Nataraja shrine was called the chittrambalam (the Keezh Ambalam).

Chidambaram, if not ancient, is still an old town. The first mention of a settlement in the vicinity is found in the 7th century collection of devotional poems to Shiva, the Tevaram, by the Nayanars: Appar and Sambandar identify the cult of a local dancing god in Chidambalam to Shiva. The nearby goddess cult of Perambalam was also subsumed into the legend of Chidambaram and cemented in the 12th century work, the Chidambaram Mahatmyam.

ChidambaramThillai Nataraja Temple has five sabhas and at least nine kalyanis. At the centre of the temple is the chit sabha with its golden dome, where Nataraja is depicted performing the ananda tandava. In the ardha mandapam of this shrine are shown Vyagrapada and Patanjali, and a sanctum is also present for Shiva’s consort, Parvati. As is the case with most South Indian temples, every minute detail of a temple, from the number of pillars to the depiction of the primary idol, has meaning. The ananda tandava is one of the many forms of Shiva’s cosmic dance, its main disposition in this instance, as the name suggests, being joy. Hindu myths say that Shiva was wandering around a forest called Daruvanna as a bhikshatana with Vishnu as Mohini. The rishis were enamoured by Mohini while their wives became love-sick for the bhikshatana. When the rishis realised what had happened, they were furious and they sent a tiger from their sacrificial fire against the bhikshatana. Shiva just laughed and killed the tiger, tearing off its skin to use as a makeshift sarong. Enraged, the rishis sent poisonous snakes against the man who had enchanted their wives. Again, Shiva just calmly took the snakes and wrapped them around his arms and waist as ornaments. Next, the rishis use black magic to create a fierce dwarf, Muyalaka, and order him to slay Shiva. However, he is dispatched without much effort too. Finally, the rishis send their sacrificial fire itself to burn the intruder. Shiva calmly takes the flame upon his left hand and begins to dance atop the slain demon-dwarf with a smile upon his face. Realising their folly, the sages fell to the floor before Shiva. This is why the Nataraja in the temple is shown performing the ananda tandava.

It is not clear when the temple was originally built; all we have now are records of renovations and expansions by later emperors of the Pallava, Chola, Vijaynagara, and Nayaka dynasties which still puts the temple at around 800 years old. However, it is believed that the temple was first built by King Shwetavarman in the 6th century when he was cured of leprosy by bathing in one of the ponds in the Thillai vanam. Today, that pond is the Shivaganga kalyani.

Chidambaram doorway karanasFrom a distance, the Thillai Nataraja Temple’s four gopura are the most visible sights, of course. They are all later additions to the temple and scholars date them to the 12th century at the earliest. The first thing one sees upon entering the temple is the exquisite miniature sculptures of the 108 karanas in the Natya shastra. These adorn all the entrances to the temple and cannot be missed. Such numerous depictions are found only in five of Tamil Nadu’s temples that I can recall. It is only appropriate that Chidambaram be one of those temples for all dance is supposed to have originated from Shiva’s tandava and the Thillai Nataraja Temple is one of the most important Shiva temples that carries a prominent depiction of Nataraja. However, it is not Shiva but a woman, accompanied by two musicians, who performs the karanas on Chidambaram’s gateways.

Directly in front of the chit sabha is the Kanaka sabha where most of the daily rituals are conducted. The Nritta sabha is in the form of a chariot and said to commemorate Shiva’s victory over the three aerial cities of Tripura. The wheels of the sabha are the sun and the moon, the car of the chariot is Prithvi, Brahma took on the role of the charioteer, Mount Meru is the bow, Vasuki the bowstring, and Vishnu the arrow released by Shiva to destroy Tripura. According to lore, Shiva defeated the goddess Kali in a dance competition in this sabha. after a fierce duel with a powerful demon, Kali could not calm down. Shiva challenged her to a dance to direct her energy and while dancing, performed the urdhva tandava. This reminded the warrior goddess of her true form, the peaceful Parvati, and she took control over herself. The Deva sabha is generally closed to the public though it may have once been used as an audience hall for visiting kings. The Raja sabha is a thousand-pillared hall that is actually ten short of reaching four digits; it is probably among the later additions and is used only during the rathotsava where Shiva and his consort, Shivakamasundari, are worshipped.

After the staggering beauty of the temples at Madurai, Tirunelveli, Thirukkurungudi, or even the temples of Kanchipuram, the Thillai Nataraja Temple of Chidambaram was slightly disappointing. The temple complex still sits over 40 acres but the scale of the temple is smaller and it lacks the exquisite figurines, musical pillars, and other features we take for granted in major Tamil temples. Yet what the temple lacks in imperial grandeur is compensated for in the beauty of the idol of the main deity, the Nataraja form of Shiva.

Chidambaram Nataraja frescoNataraja faces south at Chidambaram. This is not done for any deity except Shiva since the south is considered inauspicious because the cardinal point is the abode of Yama, the god presiding over death. Shiva faces south to signify his conquest over Death. While the Nataraja is sakala thirumeni (manifest deity) of the temple, right in front of him is the sakala-nishkala thirumeni (aniconic) form in the shape of a spatika (crystal) lingam. It is believed to be a fragment of Chandramaulishwara, the crescent that adorns Shiva’s head, and installed in the temple by Adi Shankaracharya. In the same shrine, next to the Nataraja is the nishkala thirumeni, the formless ether, symbolised by an empty chamber whose entrance is covered by a red-and-black curtain with a yantra on it. Behind the curtain is a string of 51 golden Aegle marmelos leaves, more commonly known as bael. The curtain is parted slightly at each puja – there are six per day – so that devotees may glance at the formless lingam through a latticed window. This is the Chidambara rahasyam, or the secret of Chidambaram.

The temple at Chidambaram is one of the pancha bhootha sthala, one of the five Shiva temples each of which has a lingam manifested in one of the different prime elements of nature; Chidambaram holds the akasha lingam. Finding a mention in the Tevaram, the temple is a paadal petra sthalam. The Thillai Nataraja Temple is also one of the pancha sabhai, one of the five temples where Shiva is said to have performed his cosmic dance. Each of these temples have at least an ambalam or sabhai that holds a Nataraja but Chidambaram is the only temple in the world that has Nataraja as the primary deity. Chidambaram’s ambalam is known as pon-ambalam (gold hall). Yet another specialty of the temple is is that it is one of the aadhara sthala, the physical manifestation of Tantric chakras associated with human anatomy, and Chidambaram represents the ajna chakra. Little wonder, then, that Chidambaram has not developed into a tourist spot and pilgrims are left to themselves…though not in peace for the crowds are truly Indian in size and nature! Furthermore, only Hindus are allowed into the temple. Photography is not allowed within temple premises.

Chidambaram MahishasuramardiniInterestingly, the Thillai Nataraja Temple also contains a shrine for Vishnu and is one of the 108 divyadesams. It is difficult not to chuckle at occurrences such as this given the animosity between the Shaivites and Vaishnavites. Ekambareshwar Temple in Kanchipuram is also such a dual shrine where the Vishnu shrine has been placed such that worshippers cannot avoid a pradakshina around the primary Shiva lingam to get to it. Govindaraja Swamy, as Vishnu is called at the Chidambaram temple, has his shrine right in front of the chit sabha and is reclining on Ananta with his feet towards Nataraja; the shrine is also higher than the chit sabha. There have been many disputes between the Vaishnavite priests and the Dikshitars, the priests officiating over the rituals for Shiva, some of which have even gone to court. Apparently, the shrine was moved outside the temple premises during the reign of Kulothunga II in the early to mid 12th century but was returned to its present location by Krishnappa Nayak in the mid-1500s.

The Dikshitars are a group of Shaiva brahmins who follow Vedic rituals to worship Shiva and not agamic practices like the Shivacharya brahmins. Their rituals are apparently based on the works of both Bauddhayana and Patanjali. Legend has it that the Dikshitars were brought from Kailasa to Thillai by Patanjali for the specific purpose of maintaining the Chidambaram temple. Once, Brahma requested 3,000 Dikshitar priests to perform a Vedic ritual at his abode. When they were done, they returned to earth but to their dismay, found that one had gone missing. At this point, a voice from the chit sabha called out that Nataraja himself was the last of the Dikshitars. Today, they are about 360 in number.

The temple opens at six o’clock in the morning and remains open until noon when it closes for a siesta. It reopens at 5:00 PM and closes at 10:00 PM. It is best to get to the temple as it opens and catch the first puja around 7:00 AM when the priest goes to the Palliyarai to bring the deity to the sanctum sanctorum. During the second puja, a ruby Nataraja is also anointed and the burning of camphor before and behind the idol accentuates its translucence. The last puja of the day, the arthajaamam, starts around 9:00 PM and is conducted with greater fervour for the belief is that all the deities of the temple gather around the chit sabha and the divine forces are concentrated in the Nataraja before he retires.

The religious importance of Chidambaram made it a very attractive target for invaders. The Thillai Nataraja Temple was brutally ransacked by the forces of Malik Kafur in the early 14th century and desecrated again by the British, French, and the Islamic rulers of Mysore who used the temple premises as barracks and the prakara as fortifications.

Hotels should not be difficult to find in Chidambaram unless you show up during a festival. There are only a few hotels in town given the small population but they are mostly decent and there should be no trouble in securing basic amenities such as clean sheets, hot water, and air conditioning. Tamil Nadu has three seasons – hot, hotter, and hottest – and the best time to visit for tourists is December or January. Be warned, though, that the sun can be quite sharp even in those months.

We had gone to the Thillai Nataraja Temple at the crack of dawn but were done only by late morning. After a quick breakfast, we pushed on to Darasuram, about 75 kms southeast of Chidambaram. No more than a large village of about 13,000 people, Darasuram is famous primarily for its famous Airavateshwara Temple. Despite being added to the list of UNESCO Heritage Sites in 2004, the temple remains off the beaten track for most tourists. Airavateshwara Temple is one of the four great imperial Chola temples, albeit the smallest of them.

DarasuramWe chose to visit Darasuram after Chidambaram because the Airavateshwara Temple, unlike others on our itinerary, was not a functioning temple. Sure, there is an aarti at certain times of the day but there were no rituals performed at the temple that would mark this temple as functional. Largely, this meant that it would remain open in the afternoon for us to visit.

Airavateshwara Temple was built by Raja Kambeera Mamannan, also known as Rajaraja Chola II, in the mid-12th century when he moved his capital from Gangaikondacholapuram to Palaiyarai, renaming the town Rajarajapuram. Over time, the name evolved to its present form. The temple was also called Rajarajeshwara but had been renamed by the 15th century. Dedicated to Shiva, the deity here is known as Airavateshwara because of a legend that tells how Airavata, the chief among Indra’s elephants, was granted relief from Durvasa’s curse: the poor thing had lost its white colour and was restored to its former beauty by bathing in the sacred waters of this temple. Similarly, Yama also bathed in the waters of the Airavateshwara Temple to escape from a rishi‘s curse that caused a burning sensation all over his body.

NandiAiravateshwara Temple is a small structure by any stretch of imagination. Its vimana rises barely 85 feet and the entire complex can be contained in a couple of acres. The main mantapa does not even have a circumambulatory path. Nonetheless, Airavateshwara Temple is one of the most exquisite temples for my money. It contains dozens of spectacular and intricate sculptures, some betraying Pala influence as well. Of particular note are the Vishnudurga, Dakshinamurthy, and Ganga figurines. There is also a panel of miniatures depicting the lives of the 63 Nayanars in great detail. There is a clear theme to all the engravings and miniature sculptures in the temple – music and dance. The temple has three main mantapas, the mukha mantapa depicted as a chariot with wheels and stone horses, the maha mantapa, and the ardha mantapa. Shiva’s consort at this temple is known as Periya Nayaki Amman which was probably part of the temple but now stands alone as a detached temple. Outside the eastern entrance is a large Nandi, behind which are a set of musical stone steps; these steps have now been sealed off in a metal grill to protect them from local children.

The temple at Darasuram was never a focal point of religious practice or debate as Chidambaram was but royal patronage ensured it remained active. As the other Great Chola temples attest, it had become common practice to build royal shrines. While it may be a stretch to say that the Chola emperors sought to elevate themselves and their ancestors to quasi-divine status, the builder’s mark on these temples is unmistakeable. The four Great Chola temples are probably the only ones in which the central vimana towers over the gopura.

Chariot mantapa, DarasuramTo escape the Tamil Nadu sun – yes, even in January! – we found a nice shady and windy spot in the prakara of the Airavateshwara Temple for a short snooze. After all, that was one of the purposes of the colonnaded halls! It is incredible how cool the corridors were, with plenty of shade and wind tunnels. In fact, I have half a mind to go around Tamil Nadu taking an afternoon nap in all the major temples…I should probably get an extra thread for this achievement 😀 We left Darasuram for Tribhuvanam around 4:00 PM after the aarti.

The treasures of Airavateshwara Temple, Darasuram

Prakaram at Darasuram Gajasthamba, Darasuram Yali at foot of pillar, Darasuram
Dakshinamurthy, Darasuram Bas relief on pillars Vishnudurga, Darasuram
Ganga, Darasuram Lingodbhava, Darasuram Virabhadra, Darasuram

Tribhuvanam is about eight kilometres from Kumbakonam and is the site of the Kampaheshwara Temple, built by Kulothunga Chola III in the late 12th century. Also one of the Great Chola temples, it is the newest of the four with its vimana rising to about 120 feet. The main mantapa is built like a chariot with events from the Ramayana decorating the temple walls. A rare appearance of Sarabeshwarar, the lion-man-eagle rupa Shiva took to pacify Narasimha, can also be found at the Kampaheshwara Temple. Legend has it that Shiva cured the kampa (quaking – epilepsy?) of a king who was haunted by a brahmarakshasa because he had accidentally killed a brahmin. The more prosaic reason, however, is that the temple was built to commemorate Kulothunga Chola III’s military victories against the Hoysalas, Vengi, and probably the Kakatiyas.

We reached the temple as it opened for the evening and there was not too big a crowd. Oddly, there were even fewer tourists present than at Darasuram; I suppose with Thanjavur so close by, it would take only a real South India aficionado to discover the smaller Chola temples. As a functioning institution, Kampaheshwara Temple follows strict hours and closes in the afternoon – tourists would be well advised to plan accordingly. With the sightseeing at Tribhuvanam done, we called it a day and headed to Thanjavur for the night. Good accommodation is available much closer in Kumbakonam but it made more sense with our itinerary to get closer to our next morning’s destination.

Entrance to BrihadeshwaraThere is no mention of Thanjavur in the records until the 4th century. The name is thought to have been derived from an asura by the name of Tanjan who was killed by Neelamegha Perumal, a local deity considered an avatara of Vishnu. Another theory is that the original name was Thanseioor, meaning something to the effect of ‘rice paddy between rivers,’ no doubt indicating the settlement’s position in the Cauvery delta and its chief crop. Thanjavur, simplified to Tanjore by the British, has been an important city since about the 9th century. It has been ruled by several Hindu dynasties and was even the capital of the Chola empire for about 150 years towards the end of the first millennium. About 340 kms from Madras by road and 60 kms from Tiruchirapalli Airport, Thanjavur is well connect by road, rail, and air.

Gateway, BrihadeshwaraThe Brihadeshwara Temple of Thanjavur is one of the most famous temples of Tamil Nadu. Completed in 1010 by Emperor Arulmozhivarman, commonly known as Rajaraja Chola I and arguably the greatest of the Chola emperors, it is the oldest of the great Chola temples. With a soaring vimana of 216 feet, the Brihadeshwara Temple is also the largest of the Great Chola temples. Everything about the temple is grand: the kalasha at the top of the vimana is a single rock that weighs 80 tonnes, and a 20-tonne monolithic Nandi, albeit replaced by the Nayakas in the 16th century, faces a 3.7 metres tall lingam. The dwarapalakas of the garbha griha are 18 feet tall themselves. It is the first all-granite temple in India, though a facade of softer rock that was more amenable to sculpting was also created. To this day, the Brihadeshwara Temple stands as the tallest temple in India.

IMG_5817Like most big temples in India, Brihadeshwara Temple has also seen several additions by later rulers; the shrine to Shiva’s consort, Brihannayaki, was added by the Pandyas, the Subramanya shrine was constructed by the Vijayanagara rulers, and the Vinayaka shrine – truth be told, a bit of an eyesore in the midst of stone opulence – was contributed by the Marathas. The Nayakas added several paintings over the original Chola murals.

Vimana of Brihadeshwara TempleRajaraja Chola I died shortly and several unfortunate occurrences are said to have plagued the royal family. A superstition took hold that any king entering the temple through the grand main entrance – the Keralantaka Vayil – would soon lose his crown if not his life. When the Nayakas conquered Tanjore they had a 18-foot fortified wall with a 15-foot moat built around the temple. This wall enclosed the main entrance, thereby blocking it for royal or public use. Later, the Marathas, who succeeded the Nayakas, broke down the part of the wall blocking access to the main entrance and built a torana in front of the main entrance which was thrown open, once again, for public use. Rajaraja Chola’s son, Rajendra Chola, inexplicably moved the capital from Thanjavur to Gangaikondacholapuram and had a Brihadeshwara temple built there. It is one of the Great Chola temples, though not as magnificent as the original.

IMG_5823There is a lot to see at the temple, even if it is not so ornate as the one at Darasuram. The brihad-lingam, with its tripundra of vibhuti and a red tilak, looks divine. The most striking feature of the temple, however, is that the vimana is hollow. Some say that the column of air above the lingam that such a structure allows is the ‘true’ lingam, or rather that the air lingam is the manifestation of the highest brahman. Nowhere else has this been replicated and if this is a valid interpretation of Rajaraja Chola’s intent, it is a welcome metaphysical facet to the temple that is otherwise more a testament to an emperor’s ego than any spiritual inclination. Yet, to be fair, temples did not serve purely religious functions back in the day; they were active in welfare, education, and health. A royal shrine can still be important in the lives of the local population.

Nayaka painting on ceiling of Nandi mantapa, BrihadeshwaraSince we had all been to Brihadeshwara Temple before, we spent about an hour and a half there. I hesitate to venture how long others might need for it depends on how they define ‘seeing’ a temple. Some treat it as a surgical strike – darshan and out, while others like to wander, look at the sculptures, paintings, and wonder about the sthalapurana. At all the three of four Great Chola temples that we visited, there was little by way of information signposts and there were no guides save at Brihadeshwara. Tourists would have to to their homework before they come or arrange for a guide from their hotel or travel agency. For all its enormous tourist potential, India remains a primitive backwater.

Chola political influence extended into Southeast Asia and it is natural that their cultural influence would follow. The principles of many of these temples can be seen in Hindu and Buddhist shrines all over Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Of course, the Cholas were subject to external influences as well. The Pala style is particularly visible in some of the later temples. The Palas were a Buddhist dynasty in Bengal that flourished from the 8th to the 12th centuries and Chola contacts with them, either through warfare or through trade routes, brought many Pala sculptors and architects south into Tamil Nadu in search of patronage. Perhaps the clearest indication of this flow of talent can be seen in the way some of the statues are finished – Pala artisans used a softer stone, or covered a semi-finished hard stone with softer material like terracotta, and gave a smooth, shiny appearance to their figurines. Cholas, on the other hand, finished their work in the same hard stone. This meant that the end product lacked the polish and finesse of comparable Pala work though there were just as spectacular in terms of artisanal skill that went into the creation.

The sights at Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur

Gopuram at Brihadeshwara entrance Stone lizard, Brihadeshwara Long view, Brihadeshwara
Dwarapalak, Brihadeshwara Ganpathi, Brihadeshwara Bhikshatanamurthi, Brihadeshwara
Sculptures on entrance gopuram 3, Brihadeshwara Sculptures on entrance gopuram 2, Brihadeshwara Sculptures on entrance gopuram 1, Brihadeshwara
Grantha inscription, Brihadeshwara Kartikeya, Brihadeshwara Nataraja, Brihadeshwara

Our next stop was Srirangam, a small island surrounded by the Cauvery and the Coleroon. Its Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, one of the 108 divya desam, is not only the largest temple in India at 156 acres but the largest functioning temple in the world and among the most sacred shrines for Vaishnavas. No one really knows when the temple was first consecrated but the earliest inscriptions come from the 10th century, making it at least 1,100 years old. Tradition has it that it is one of the eight swayambhu kshetras of Vishnu. Its mention in the Tamil epic, the Silapadikaram, speaks to is further antiquity as does its inclusion by the Vaishnavite mystics, the Alwars, in their 5th-8th century poetic compositions known as the Divya Prabandham. The legend of Ranganatha Swamy is similar to that of Ravana and the Vaidyanath jyotirlinga in Deoghar, though perhaps without the sense of impending doom. In this case, Rama had given the idol of Vishnu he personally worshipped to Vibheeshana to take to Ceylon as a token of appreciation for his help in the war against Ravana, his own brother. The only condition was that the statue should be set down anywhere before its final resting spot. However, the Ceylonese king had to set the idol down on the banks of the Cauvery where the Ranganatha Swamy Temple is because of an utsav proceeding through the area. When the procession had gone by, Vibheeshana tried to lift the idol but to no avail – it had become firmly entrenched into the ground. A temple was built on the spot but over time, was lost to nature. It was rediscovered by a Chola king many years later.

Srirangam gopura from roof 2The temple has seven prakaras with 21 gopura, its perimeter being slightly over four kilometres. The gopuram on its southern wall rises to about 240 feet, making the Ranganatha Swamy Temple the tallest temple in the world. Given the sprawl of the temple premises, it is quite possible that the entire town once lived within its walls. Hundreds of inscriptions have been found on the temple walls and pillars. Together, they give historians a fairly decent picture of the social, economic, and political conditions of the time. The substantial royal patronage that flowed to Srirangam documents the growth in wealth and influence of the temple. It is worth noting that though the Cholas were Shaivites and the squabbling between the different mathas had started in their time, they continued to support all dharmic institutions within their realm.

Srirangam changed hands many times over the centuries. The Cholas, Ordras, Hoysalas, Pandyas, Vijayanagara, and the Nayakas all ruled over the city and made generous additions to the temple. However, Srirangam also felt the love of the Muslim invasions, first in 1311 and then again in 1323. The town fell under Islamic rule in 1331 and was liberated only in 1371 when Kumara Kampanna Udaiyar of the Vijayanagara Empire defeated the Muslim ruler of Madurai, Sikhandar Khan. Hindus under this Islamic rule were cruelly repressed as the chronicles of Ibn Battuta and others reveal.

Srirangam WallThe armies of Malik Kafur, Ulugh Khan, and the Madurai Sultanate stripped the temple bare; its coffers and granaries were plundered as were the ornaments of gold and precious stones. Gold was peeled off domes and pillars and golden statues, ornaments, and vessels were carried off. Some commanders used the temple premises as quarters for their soldiers and garrisoned on the island. To give some idea of the wealth Srirangam possessed, the donations of just one king – Jatavarman Sundara Pandya – should provide a glimpse. Inscriptions tell us that the king offered many tulabharas worth of gold, silver, and jewels to the temple. He is said to have covered the Ranga vimana with gold and built three additional golden domes. Jatavarman gifted garlands of pearls and emeralds, a crown of jewels, a golden ship for the Teppattirunal, golden vessels, and made several infrastructural additions to Srirangam. It is to the Vijayanagara kings and generals to whom most of the credit for restoring the temple to some semblance of its former glory goes. They donated gold, silver, jewels, and art generously, even entire villages as devadana. The Nayakas added the paintings on the walls and ceilings in the 16th century. The armies of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan also came by Srirangam but the damage was not as severe this time. The thick walls of the temple attracted British and French forces to use the buildings as barracks as well. The temple is now under the mismanagement of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Board.

Not all of Srirangam’s wealth was lost through plunder. Some of it was simply stolen. Perhaps the most famous example of this is Orlov’s diamond, a 189.62 carat stone mined in Kollur but now owned by Russia’s Diamond Fund. Though the details are sketchy, it seems the jewel that was the tilak on Ranganatha. was stolen in 1747 by a French soldier who had pretended to be a devotee. I suppose the hostility towards non-Hindu visitors is a little clearer now. On a side note, I wonder why none of India’s nationalist rabblerousers ask Vladimir Putin for the diamond back as they heckle David Cameron for the Kohinoor.

Vijayanagara cavalry on pillar at 1000 Pillar Hall, Srirangam Vijayanagara cavalry from front at 1000 Pillar Hall, Srirangam See the details of the carving 2 - 1000 Pillar Hall, Srirangam
This is a cavalryman carved into one of the pillars of the 1,000 Pillared Hall built by the Vijayanagara kings; the same sculpture is photographed from the right, front, and left. Notice the fine details of the carving in the third picture.

When you walk into the temple, it feels like you have walked into a small town. Between the prakaras, there are entire houses, shops, food stalls, and flower vendors. There are great crowds at Srirangam, so be prepared to wait for at least an hour in the queue for darshan. There are faster queues for ₹50 and ₹250 which might suit out-of-town tourists better. On my first pass through the temple a few years ago, it took a good four or five hours to see the temple but this time, we took just three hours. Non-Hindus are allowed up to the second prakaram but no further and photography is prohibited in parts of the temple. There are several mantapas and shrines and what makes them interesting rather than repetitive is that they were added over the centuries and show different artistic influences. For example, there is a thousand-pillared hall (which is missing some 40 pillars) that was built in the Vijayanagara style with plenty of horses on their rear legs at the base of the pillars and there is the Garuda mantapa which was added by the Nayakas.

Srirangam gopura from roof 3You can purchase a ticket for ₹10 to climb up to the roof from where you can see all the gopura unhindered. Be warned, though – the roof can get pretty hot! Though the rajagopuram, the tallest of them all, was added only in 1987, the rest of the 20 gopura were built between the 14th and 17th centuries. One can only assume from other temples in the state that older gopura were pulled down by invaders in an effort to bring down the entire temple. It goes without saying that visitors should check the temple timings if they want a darshan – as a functioning temple, it closes in the afternoon and timings during festivals may vary.

Srirangam’s name is even more famous because of its association with Ramanuja, the great 11th century Vaishnavite philosopher, theologian, and leading proponent of vishishtadvaita. Ramanuja renounced his worldly life and came to Srirangam to meditate on the scriptures. Over his lifetime, he wrote several books expounding his theories, the most famous of which is the Sri Bhasya. Hymns from his Gadhya Trayam are still recited in the temple. During his time in the Ranganatha Temple, Ramanuja is said to have implemented several reforms in administration and temple affairs. His scholarship made Srirangam the epicentre of vishishtadvaita scholarship and Hindu A shrine to the acharya is found in the fourth prakaram and the thaanana thirumeni – symbolic body – is ritualistically coated with saffron and camphor every six months. In fact, a large part of the temple grounds are dedicated to the growing of saffron to be used in this ceremony. Ramanuja was the only person to be interred inside the Srirangam temple, probably owing to the belief that he was an amsha avatara of Adishesha, and his mula vigraham is constructed over his relics. I have heard some tour guides say that the Ramanuja shrine contains the actual embalmed body of the acharya and if you look closely, it is possible to see his nails. This is complete hogwash as anyone with a basic science degree can tell you – the exposure to the elements, particularly water, would have destroyed any mummy in the 800 or so years the thirumeni is supposed to be.

Bassorilievi on the pillars of the Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam

Reliefs on pillars 12, Srirangam Reliefs on pillars 11, Srirangam Reliefs on pillars 9, Srirangam
Reliefs on pillars 10, Srirangam Reliefs on pillars 8, Srirangam Reliefs on pillars 7, Srirangam

Our last stop of the trip was the Jambukeshwarar Akilandeswari Temple in Thiruvanaikaval. A paadal petra sthalam and a pancha bhoota sthalam – jambu lingam – it is an important temple from a religious viewpoint and is believed to have been built by Kochenga Chola, making it approximately 1,800 years old. Unfortunately, we were out of time for this trip and we stopped by only for a darshan of Akhilandeshwari. Hindu mythology tells the story of how Parvati once mocked Shiva’s penance for the betterment of the world. Miffed, Shiva condemned his wife’s words and told her to leave Kailasa and do penance. Parvati, in the form of Akhilandeshwari, left Kailasa and came to the Jambu forest where she proceeded to make a lingam out of water from the Cauvery and meditate upon it under a Venn Naaval tree. When at last Shiva was satisfied, he appeared before Akhilandeshwari and gave her the Shiva gnana. Since she took the teachings facing east, her statue faces east in the temple and Shiva faces west. The priest conducting the midday puja to Shiva wears a sari to symbolise Akhilandeshwari praying to Shiva.

The temple is not a small one though just after Srirangam, it feels puny. Nonetheless, it has five prakaras and is said to have a rare depiction of Kartikeya with a demon under his foot. Sadly, there is little more I can tell of this temple except that it is in my list of places in Tamil Nadu to visit soon. This was a short trip, over a regular weekend rather than an extended one, and we packed in a fair amount of sightseeing even though we promise ourselves each time to set a more relaxed pace next time! I guess it is the excitement of seeing the marvellous buildings and sculptures that numbs us to our fatigue.

Most of the temples I have visited are from approximately the same period, between 800 and 1200. The last temple that we did not see was quite the lesson in its unusual statue of Kartikeya. I have an eye for the Nataraja and the Mahishasuramardini, and variations in their posture leap out to me. The variation is insignificant among Chola temples of the medieval era but when comparing temples of an earlier age or a different location, it is remarkable to see how strong Chola influence was in the arts and the gradual standardisation of deity postures. Even at Mahabalipuram, Mahishasura is shown running away from Durga rather than under her feet; at Cave XVI in Ellora, Mahishasura looked more like a man with odd martial headgear than a buffalo as he came to be represented. Skanda went atop a peacock, Mahishasura went under Durga’s foot, and the Nataraja evolved in several ways too. Perhaps these are obvious observations to those well-versed in Indian art history but to me, not even an amateur, they are profoundly interesting.

If you are truly interested in Indian art and architecture, the only way to visit South Indian temples is two or three days at a time. That should allow for about six temples; any more, in my opinion would simply result in temple fatigue, where all the sculptures begin to appear similar and the finer points are entirely missed. I realise this is not very helpful for anyone outside the four southern states of India, but that is just how it is. I remember how, on one of my 15-day trips through Spain, all the churches started to look alike after about the eighth day…and those are rather simple structures in comparison to temples like Airavateshwara. One option is to break the pattern with something completely different like Rajasthani forts, the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilisation, or scuba diving in the Andamans. However, this luxury puts tourist budgets under much stress.

The temples could have been cleaner, as I have said many times before, but travelling with friends from the region immunises you from the woes of ordinary tourists. The general impression that I got from Darasuram and Thanjavur was that a lot of work remains to be done in making these places tourist-friendly but until then, I suggest everyone find a knowledgeable Tamil friend or three – there is no better way to travel that South Indian state!

A few photographs from our Tamil walkabout:

Brihadeshwara View from the garbha gudi, Darasuram Gajasthamba at Darasuram
Relief 1, Darasuram View down one of the prakaras Relief on pillar, Darasuram
Reliefs on pillars 2, Srirangam Pillar in 100 Pillar Hall Nayaka painting in prakaram 1, Brihadeshwara
Nayaka painting in prakaram 2, Brihadeshwara Relief 2, Darasuram Smaller shrine at Brihadeshwara

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A Chalukyan Odyssey

03 Mon Nov 2014

Posted by Jaideep A. Prabhu in India, Society, South Asia, Travelogue

≈ Comments Off on A Chalukyan Odyssey

Tags

Aihole, Aihole inscription, Ananthashayana, Archaeological Survey of India, ASI, Badami, Badami Chalukya, Banashankari Temple, Bhoothanatha Temple, Brahma Jainalaya Temple, Chalukya, Dambala, Doddabasappa Temple, Dravida, Hoysala, India, Itagi, Kalyani Chalukya, Kappe Arabhatta, Karnataka, Kashivishwanatha Temple, khanavali, Lakkundi, Lingayat, Mahadeva Temple, Mahakuta, Mahavira, Mahishasuramardini, Mallikarjuna Temple, Mangalesha, Meguti, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Nagara, Nanneshwara Temple, Pallava, Parsvananth, Pattadakal, Pulakeshi, Sudi, Tiruchenkaatankudi, tourism, travelogue, tripundra, Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje, Vesara

They may not have built in the monumental scale of the Cholas nor with the same stunningly intricate stonework of the Hoysalas but the Chalukyas were certainly an important chapter in the history of Indian temple building and architecture. Last weekend, I finally put into action my North Karnataka itinerary and visited Badami, Pattadakal, and Aihole, the three most famous examples of Chalukya temple complexes.

It goes without saying that the value of any trip is enhanced by reading up on your destination; conversely, one could just travel with knowledgeable companions! It is useful to note that the Chalukyas were a prosperous dynasty that ruled southern and central India for six centuries from the 6th century to the 12th century. However, the dynasty was split into three branches – the Badami Chalukyas who rose to power with the fall of the Kadambas and ruled from Vatapi, the Vengi Chalukyas who broke off from the Badami Chalukyas to become a separate kingdom after the death of Pulakesi II, and the Kalyani Chalukyas who rekindled Chalukya hegemony in the western Deccan in the 10th century after it had been eclipsed by the Rashtrakutas some 200 years earlier. For such a long-lasting dynasty, the Chalukyas have remained one of the most underrated dynasties of Indian history.

Bangalore to BadamiDespite the central role the Chalukyas played in the history of Karnataka, I was shocked to find that there the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) did not run a bus service between Bangalore and Badami. After the Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebid and the Vijayanagara capital of Hampi, the cave temples of Badami are easily the most prominent on the map of Karnataka tourism and yet the state tourism development board remains nonplussed. We finally found private carriers to transport us.

Badami is about 470 kms north of Bangalore, about the same distance it is south of Pune in Maharashtra; it is slightly closer – 420 kms – to Hyderabad in one of those Gult states, I can’t remember which. If there are no direct buses to Badami from your city, consider connecting via Bagalkot, Hubli, Hospet, Dharwad, Bijapur, or Belgaum. For tourists living further away, train might be more suitable – Badami itself has a train station but the nearest major hub is Hubli, though Bijapur, Solapur, and Gadag may better suit your itinerary. For tourists living even further away, the nearest airports to Badami are Belgaum and Hubli.

Our hotelOur hotel in Badami was just outside the town and the bus driver allowed us to get off right in front of it instead of dragging us to the nearest scheduled stop. It was a very comfortable place and the manager was very helpful. Luckily for us, the hotel was a bare two kilometres away from the site of the Badami caves and we did not need to rent a car that day. The bus journey from Bangalore was about nine hours and so to save the productive daylight hours, we had taken the night bus. After checking in, a shower, and breakfast at our hotel, we chose to walk to the Badami caves.

Temple on the way to the fort in Badami 1Rather than simply enter through the main entrance and see the Bhoothnatha temple complex and the caves alone, we found a backdoor which let us access the fortress walls and the few temples interspersed around the keeps. Some of these spots are inaccessible by path and one would have to brave rocks, gravel, thorns, and short yet steep inclines to reach them. Our efforts not only yielded man-made structures but also a beautiful view of Agastya lake by the banks of which the rest of the historical site was situated. If one is inclined to use the proper channels to explore the fort, access to stone walkways can be gained by the small museum the Archaeological Survey of India has built.

Temple on the way to the fort in Badami 2The Badami museum probably does not have anything spectacular and houses only broken remains from the nearby temples. We could not visit it as the museum is closed on Fridays. Our next stop was the Bhoothanatha temple complex but on the way, we stopped by the famous Kappe Arabhatta inscription close by. It is dated to about 700 CE, and what makes it interesting is that it is in Kannada. By no means is it the oldest Kannada inscription but I am told it is a poem written in metre.

Bhoothanatha temple

The Bhoothanatha temple complex consists of two parts, usually referred to as the Upper and Lower compexes. The Upper part has several elements of Kalyani Chalukya architecture and was built in the 11th century while the more famous Lower complex is located most picturesquely on the banks of Lake Agastya and was built by the Badami Chalukyas in the 7th century. There is a path leading behind this temple where you’ll find a very small structure in which Vishnu is carved in the Ananthashayana form with Lakshmi in attendance.

Agastya Lake

Finally, we headed to the caves which are located on the other side of the lake maybe a kilometre away. They are four in number, and honestly, after Ellora, they appeared rather bland. However, such impossible yardsticks would require us to disregard the overwhelming majority of artistic endeavours worldwide and is neither fair nor fruitful. The caves were quite marvelous nonetheless. The first cave as you enter has a beautiful Mahishasuramardini on the right. The third cave is the biggest and is dedicated to Vishnu. Thanks to an inscription in it, we are quite certain it was created in 578 CE by King Mangalesha, uncle of Pulakeshi II. The final cave is a Jain cave, complete with its statue of Mahavira and one of Parshvananth.

The route from the temple complexes to the caves is absolutely filthy along the lake. It passes by houses with garbage liberally strewn around them, dirty water whose origins we would rather not contemplate upon, and pigsties. There may be a route from the main street, and it may be the advisable one.

The caves at Badami could be a little strenuous for some – there are quite a few steps which may be tiring. However, nothing stops one from taking a break in the middle and ascending in intervals. Beware not to carry anything you want to keep – there are quite a few monkeys at the site and they will most likely snatch any food or drink in your hand; one woman lost her handbag in front of us.

In the Badami fort walkwaysBefore returning to the hotel, we thought it might be time for some food again, seeing as we were totally lost in the beauty of the Badami monuments and had not eaten anything for about seven hours save a glass of sugarcane juice. Yet before food, we visited the famous Banashankari temple near Badami. The shrine is supposed to date back to the 6th century but the idol was replaced in the 17th century by a wealthy merchant. This sparked off a short conversation about “lived culture” and its potential drawbacks – because Hinduism is the oldest continuous culture, every generation that comes feels ownership of the temples built by their forefathers. Unfortunately, from a historical perspective, later generations may seek to renovate or improve upon older work. In the example of Banashankari temple, we are still left with a 400-year-old statue but the historian in me cringes at having missed a 1,500-year-old statue. The merchant was only trying to show his devotion and perhaps his gratitude for his success but that devotion and gratitude inadvertently came in the way of historical value.

One last point about Badami – as most people know, the town was called Vatapi in earlier times and was the capital of the Chalukya kingdom. Muthuswami Dikshitar was inspired by the Ganapati statue in Tiruchenkaatankudi (near Thanjavur) to compose his famous Carnatic music piece, Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje. From the name of the statue, one can surmise that it originally resided in the Chalukya capital of Vatapi. However, Badami fell to the Pallava king Narasimha Varma in one of the many wars between the Chalukyas and the Pallavas. After the victory, a Pallava general named Paranjyoti carried away the Ganapati statue and had it installed in his hometown where it resides to this day.

Mallikarjuna temple at MahakutaOn the second day of our trip, we visited Mahakuta, Pattadakal, and Aihole. Each are about 15 kms from each other and our first destination, Mahakuta, about the same from Badami. Instead of hiring a car, we opted for one of those three wheeler auto rickshaws. Unlike their urban cousins, the rickshaws in Badami were built to carry more than three passengers.

Banyan tree at MahakutaThe Mahakuta temple complex is a set of small Shiva temples built in the 6th century. There are two main temples – Mahakuteshwara and Mallikarjuna – in the complex, the remainder of the nearly two dozen or so structures being smaller shrines. While the temples maintain the traditional lingam depiction of Shiva, there are several other depictions in the various shrines. Some are quite rare, like the urdhwaraheteshwara. One lingam is in the pushkarini on site, which serves as a shallow pool as well as a site of worship. What makes this lingam interesting is that it has four faces carved on it. Like at Badami, the Mahakuta temple complex has a couple of important inscriptions that have shed light on the history of the Chalukyas.

Krishna IyerThe complex also had a few ancient sculptures arrayed in a corner. These were probably once a part of the temples and shrines but either broke off or the shrines are standing no more. Nonetheless, any sculpture not damaged had the obligatory Shaivite tripundra smeared on it…including a Krishna statue! Particularly powerful at Mahakuta were the massive banyan trees that lent an air of overwhelming bliss to the place.

From Mahakuta, we proceeded to Pattadakal. The roads were atrocious, almost as bad as in Ladakh. It did not help that we were travelling in a rickshaw but I doubt a car would have made much of a difference. The roads in Badami are quite bad too but failed to make an impression since we had walked to the caves from our hotel. Yet below all the dust and gravel, they were just as bad. Away from national highways, roads in northern Karnataka are as pockmarked as a war zone.

Another thing I noticed was the rampant open defecation in the area. In the south, I had heard horror stories about the lack of development in the north but I never saw it when I occasionally drove from Mangalore to Bombay. Now, staying in the region for three days, the lack of roads, electricity, and sanitation was very apparent. Even the district capital was not free of people relieving themselves in the nearby fields.

Pattadakal 1It is easy to see why the Badami-Pattadakal-Aihole region is called the laboratory of Indian temple architecture. Pattadakal is a splendid complex of about a dozen 8th century temples built by the Badami Chalukyas and a couple added by the Rashtrakutas – the Kashivishwanatha and the Jain temple – a little later. The range of architectural experiments encompasses all three styles of Hindu temple building, the Dravidian, the Nagara, and the Vesara which is a little more than a hybrid of the former two.

Pattadakal 3 Relief at Aihole Pattadakal 4

At Pattadakal, I was quite annoyed by a couple of sets of tourists who clearly had no clue about the historical value of the place. Nor did they display an ability to appreciate the artistic or engineering elements of the site. They were clearly on vacation and the nice lawns seemed like yet another picnic spot for them. However, what annoyed me immensely was that they allowed the children in their groups – some three or four of them – to openly urinate on the lawns. This utter lack of civic responsibility is what hampers much of India’s development efforts, be they the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or simply providing clean train compartments.

Pattadakal 2While I enjoyed Pattadakal immensely, it is not difficult for the ignorant tourist to suffer from an overdose of temples at Pattadakal. Not knowing the significance of the site or unable to distinguish the architectural innovations, engineering skill, and construction material, it is possible that all temples look the same. I overheard one tourist who had bumped into someone from his hotel say that he was done with the place in about 20 minutes! I overheard another tourist debating whether or not to see the entire complex since “it was just one temple after another” – blasphemous words to those interested in identifying every mural and sculpture in each temple!

Aihole Durga TempleFrom Pattadakal we went to Aihole. The temples of Aihole, though impressive, are not considered as magnificent as those at Pattadakal but the several inscriptions found at the site make the site a very important one for Indian history. Furthermore, it was established as the first capital of the Chalukyas in 450, before Pulakeshi I moved his court to Vatapi. The oldest temple at Aihole consequently dates back to the 5th century. Though Aihole has dozens of temples strewn all over the area, the Durga temple is the iconic image of the village.

Abandoned Chalukya templeAs far as I can tell, the main difference between a monument and a forgotten pile of stones in the general Dharwad area is in the attention given to it. There were several temples we could see from the road as we drove by that had simply been abandoned – apparently, India simply has too much heritage to care for it all!

MegutiIt was almost sunset by the time we were done with Aihole. We were a bit rushed at the end because we wanted to catch the sunset from Meguti because the photographers in our group informed me that it was supposed to be stunning from there. Well, the sun sets everyday…whatever! My interest in Meguti, Mahabharata buff that I am, was that it held the famous Aihole inscription on the Jain temple at the spot. The inscription dates the building of the temple (verse 33) in relation to the Great War mentioned in the Mahabharata. As scholars are wont to do, there is some debate over whether the inscription places the war around 3101 BCE or 5376 BCE.

Meguti sits atop a hillock but there are steps to the top. They are not at all difficult but they could be a bit of a run if you are racing against the sun at twilight. Beyond the inscription itself, the spot was quite pleasing with the temple sitting symmetrically in the middle of the tiny fort.

SudiOn the last day of our trip, we wandered off into the unknown. Or rather, I followed my friends who knew a lot more about the region than I did into villages I had never heard of until then. The rich find of temples, wells, and other remnants of the Chalukyas convinced me further about my theory of discards and monuments.

Vandalism at SudiOur first stop was Sudi, where a temple just stood abandoned. According to some young lads playing cricket outside, the ASI had recently sent some stone to the villagers and asked them to renovate it until they could come and grow a lawn around the temple. I was horrified to think that a bunch of untrained villagers had been tasked with restoring a historical site until I saw the vandalism inside the temple. Like many historical and/or abandoned temples around India, this one had lost all its idols too and there were two men sleeping inside – drunks, homeless, or lazy, I could not tell. What was even worse was the graffiti someone had drawn on a slab with inscriptions on it. This, sadly, is not an isolated case – I have seen such cretinism at almost all historical sites around India: Ellora, Hampi, Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Hawa Mahal, and more.

Itagi Mahadeva templeAfter Sudi, we went to Itagi and then to Lakkundi before ending our trip at Dambala. All these places had temples in the Kalyani Chalukya style of architecture unlike most of the ones we saw during the first two days. Despite not making it onto the tourist map, the Mahadeva temple at Itagi was quite exquisite. Lakkundi was a surprise for me because it had over 20 temples scattered around it and some of those temples were quite elaborate. The Brahma Jainalaya was most fascinating, holding the idols of both Mahavira and Brahma. Even more interestingly, the four faces of Brahma depicted a man at different times of his life and mirrored the four ashramas of the Hindus – brahmacharya, grihasta, vanaprastha, and sanyasa.

Brahma Jainalaya, LakkundiOur last day was the only day we had time to stop for lunch at an appropriate hour, and we tried a local Lingayat khanavali. Long story short, there is no food available in even one of the towns and villages we passed through. Not if, that is, words like hygiene and taste mean anything to you. I have noticed that Indians have an uncanny ability to eat anywhere and my companions certainly did not suffer from what I perceived to be a lack of cuisine. However, for the fainthearted, if proper food at regular intervals is a priority for you, I suggest getting it packed at your hotel in the morning or picking up fruits, crisps, biscuits, and sodas in any of the shops and stalls around.

Kashivishweshwara Temple at Lakkundi, with Surya shrine on rightThere were several other temples at Lakkundi such as the Kashivishveshwara, the Nanneshwara, and even a Surya temple, very rare for the South. One thing that really stood out was at the Lakkundi museum near the Brahma Jainalaya temple – an undamaged sculpture of Vishnu and Lakshmi, about a foot in height. Given Indian history and the public disregard for their heritage, one does not come across undamaged sculptures on a day-to-day basis. This one was exquisite but unfortunately, the museum does not allow photography inside.

Doddabasappa Temple at twilightWe reached Dambala late in the evening. However, the Doddabasappa Temple was striking in the twilight. This 12th century Kalyani Chalukya temple in some ways gives an indication of the era of temple building to come under the Hoysalas. It is based on a 24-point stellate plan and constructed out of the softer soapstone the Hoysalas would use a couple of centuries later. However, the Doddabasappa Temple lacks the intricacy of either the future Hoysala temples or even the other Kalyani Chalukya temples contemporaneous to it.

Doddabasappa Temple, DamabalaOur three-day trip to northern Karnataka was truly an enjoyable one. I suppose it is difficult to go wrong in Karnataka or Tamil Nadu, especially if one is interested in Indian history, as both states are saturated with jaw-dropping splendour. We were also aided by the beautiful weather; the best time to tour India is from October to February. The Indian summer runs from March to June and the monsoons have their way with the subcontinent from July to September. As much as I love the monsoons, the roads do not and logistics is always a bit harder in those months.

ASI works its magicSomething I noticed throughout the trip was that the ASI seems to have taken on the role of national landscapers. Everywhere we went, the temples that the ASI had adopted were surrounded by well-manicured lawns that brought Lodi Gardens in Delhi to mind. Unfortunately, that seemed to be most of what they did. The restoration work of the temples left much to be desired, not to mention thoughtless markings on the stone and addition of modern structures. There were few signs explaining what each monument was – what precious little explanation we could get was usually one one sign at the entrance that tried to explain everything about the complex. The lighting inside the temples was poor and one would have to be a photographer of at least some talent to capture any shots; furthermore, some temples smelled of bat faeces thanks to decades of neglect.

Mahishasuramardini at PattadakalOur entire trip can be compressed into a day if you are the type to visit places only for the sake of your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts. However, for those who want to absorb the Chalukyan air, plan for about four hours at Badami (without the fort visit), three to four hours for Pattadakal, and two to three for Aihole. This is assuming you stick only to the main complexes and do not wander into all the smaller temple complexes all over the area. The four villages on our last day are difficult to do as they require a bit of travelling between them. However, if you want to explore each of them properly, they should probably take two days on their own.

All in all, despite the bad roads, filth, virtually non-existent sanitation, and difficulty of procuring food, do not miss out on the splendour of the Chalukyas. It will be a trip well worth the nuisance!


This post first appeared on Swarajya on November 09, 2014.

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