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| Viranarayana temple, Belavadi KA,en.wikipedia.org |
The state of Karnataka has lots of Hindu temples and among them those that were built in Hoysala architecture are unique and attract lots of tourist for their aesthetically designed interiors, intricate sculptures, ornate gopuara, etc. This awe-inspiring architecture, gently deviated from the Dravida style of temples design became a prominent feature under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries and it is a historical and cultural legacy of the Karnataka region. The Veera Narayana temple, also also known as the Viranarayana temple at Belavadi, close to Halebidu, Chikkamagaluru district came up around 1200 CE. Fairly well preserved you may call it a three temple complex with three separate sanctums square in plan accessible through a common large square Ranga-mandapa Three gods enshried in the three sanctuaries are Viranarayana with four arms carrying Sangu, Chakra, etc on a Lotus pedestal (Vishnu), Gopala (Krishna playing a flute), another form of Vishnu, and Yoga-Narasimha (yet another avatar of Vishnu, sitting in a yoga posture) facing east, north and south directions respectively. It is a Vaishnava temple and the main deity in the (central section) sanctum/ garbhagriha is 8 ft (2.4 m) tall stone idol of Narayana. The builder was Hoysala King Veera Ballala II and this one is the largest temple built by him..
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| lathe-turned pillars Viranarayana temple, Belavadi KA wikipedia. |
Being managed by the ASI the Archaeological Survey of India Bengaluru Circle, the Veeranarayana temple is a nationally protected monument of India for its grandeur architectural features carved from soap stones. The polished lathe turned pillars, nice carvings of jewels on the sculptures, ornate Shikara and amazing rock panels depicting episodes from the life of god Krishna. Such mind-boggling stone carvings are rare rare in other parts of state.
For unknown reasons the three temple complex was not built in the same period and additions were made at different time frame as evidenced by the newer parts with lesser height, connecting passages and plan of the cross section. The temple shows damages in some parts an part is it is obvious additional construction would have taken place before the damages that were likely to have been inflicted by raids from enemies.
The oldest part is tha Veeranarayana shrine built by 1200 CE, likely complete about 1200 CE. Subsequent additions included103 ft long Ranga-mandapa along with the shrines for Gopala and Yoga-Narasimha. The latter were built by 1206 CE.
The temple complex has two closed mantapas, one with thirteen bays and another with nine bays, at the end of which is a central shrine. The spacious hall has thirty seven bays.
The third shrine is an older one with plain inner walls but well decorated roof. The temple complex has fifty nine bays in all characteristic of many Hoysala polished lathe-turned pillars supporting the mandapas.
The old-styled outer wall of the temple has eaves running around the temple where the superstructure meets the wall of the shrine. Below thisthere are are miniature decorative towers on pilasters (aedicule) and is followed by a second eves. A panel of Hindu deities and their attendants (frieze) are below this eves followed by a set of five moldings that form the base of the wall.
The two newer shrines have a square sanctum, with one shrine square in plan while the other being star shaped (stellate).
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| ornate roof, Viranarayana temple, Belavadi KA wikipedia. |
The superstructure over each of three shrines is connected to a low protrusion tower called Sukanasi that has two tiers of decorated miniature roofs. An interestin feature is all three shrines have fairly large and bold sculptured decoration on the towers that can be viewed from a distance.
Belavadi is 11 kilometres (7 mi) north of Halebidu, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Hassan city, and about 29 kilometres (18 mi) southeast of Chikmagalur town.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veera_Narayana_Temple,_Belavadi