We traveled 18 miles from Honavar (then in the British ruled Bombay Presidency) by boat and reached Gerusoppa. We decided to see the Jain Basadis scattered around Gerusoppa and started crossing a stream. The leaches welcomed us with a great joy and sucked our blood gleefully. The amazing part was that none of us felt any pain! These leaches can consume enough blood to last them for a year, and only then they let go. Only after they let go, one notices the damage. In the middle of fighting the leaches, we could not pay our respects to the Jain thirtankaras. As we returned to Gerusoppa, the boys discussed how we could profit from the leaches. One of us said that he had heard that Mumbai merchants put on so much weight that it is a problem for them. He suggested that we build a dark room infested with leaches and market it as a weight reduction therapy!
Courtsey travel accounts Krishnanand rest of the nail biting travelogue can be browsed here http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/letters/jogfalls.htm
I distinctly remember my first trip to the jog was in 1978 during my degree days. We were group of five youngsters. We reached Jog around noon time. We decided to trek to the base of the falls with hardly any people following us. The steps were pretty well laid but steep. We reached the bottom of the water falls and had a good bath and even drank the crystal clear water. We did not have any queer and capricious experience of our clothes being robbed by gals, which was faced by Krishnanand and his gang in 1946. ( my take is that incident seems to masala being added for dramatisation. It is akin to Krishna robbing clothes of gopikas ) The sound of the falls even though not very ferocious was music to ears. The greenery around the area was astounding. The ascent was tiring obviously since we were hungry. None of us owned a camera, so we could not capture the nature at its best. We had some snacks at the top and boarded a bus back to Bangalore.
Current Scenario : We cancelled the trip to Jog last month due swine flu like symptoms. In fact I had informed Nagaraj that we will be coming around but failed to make the trip. But this time I was determined to make the trip. After meeting with Nagaraj we drove towards the Tlyerikoppa Lion Safari. We got to see Lions, Tigers, which looked very healthy when compared to Banerghatta National Park. The deer and sambhars too were in large numbers moving around freely. After undertaking a good safari ride which is reasonably priced at Rs 35 per head and visit to the zoo was also quite an interesting experience. The zoo is very well maintained with concrete pathways. The special features are peacocks, sloth bear, jackal, phython, and deers. We proceeded towards Sagar for a night halt. In lieu of the holiday season almost all hotels were fully booked we managed to squeeze into a decent lodge in absence of rooms at Vardaraj Motel.
We traveled early to Jog after seeing Ikkeri aghrovareswar temple. Jog is approximately 35 kms from Sagar enroute to Honnavar there is a deviation toward left which leads to Jog Falls. The road is beautifully laid and if one clips he can reach Jog within 30 minutes. The rainy season has bought in plenty of rainfall, but we were surprised to see the river water levels on the Shravathy river flowing towards the Jog was very low. Naturally the Jog was not in its full blossom. Maybe the release of water is restricted at Lingnamakki dam area. Another surprise was that water was muddy unlike the last time around. This is a clear sign of sand mining and soil erosion which is taking place at the banks of the river. This was a little bit of downer for me. However the greenery around the falls is maintained giving a majestic look to the entire gorge. All the four falls were flowing in a medium trickle. The Raja and Roarer looked a decent fall. Rani and rocket too had water trickling down. The landscaping work around the bay area is still unfinished. Lot of work is under construction. The parking bay looks neat. The hanging rope bridge too has been well designed. Photographers with stock photo keep beckoning us for a shot. If one tries to click the jog falls with one’s own camera the effect is dull. On the hindsight it is worth getting a photo profile done by these professionals who mix and match our heads into the stock photo of Jog falls. Jog fall is recommended for visit only during the rainy season. It is better to check the weather reports and plan a trip to Jog otherwise one is bound to be disappointed.
JOG FACT FILE :
ELEVATION : 2600 Feet FREE FALL : 829 Feet WIDTH OF FALL: 1550 Feet RIVER Sharavathi Dam Linganmakki Electricity Gen 227 Mega watt Date of construction : 1964
The two mighty rivers of Karnataka join at Koodli which is 16 kms from Shimoga. Tunga flows from the western ghat from northwest direction and Bhadra from southwest. The industrial belt has added to the pollution of Bhadra river. Tunga is relavtively cleaner.
Rameshwara temple is built most probably built during the Chalukyan era, considering the absence of architectural grandeur. Hoysala symbol has been subsequently incorporated to give a touch of the era. Subsequently the Ikkeri Nayaks too have contributed to the renovation of this temple. The ASI has beautifully landscaped the premises to give it a neat look.
HISTORY
There are three temples located in Koodli and they are Rameswara, Brahmaeswara and Narasimha temples. The old inscriptions found at Brahmaeswara temple refers to a donation made by king of Ayodhya to the temple maintainence. The Sringeri Mutt has copper inscription of grant made by Kadamba king Purandara Raya in 1075 saka era. Further Hoysala king Veera Ballal III donated on the occasion of return of his captive son from Delhi by Mohammadian. Further grants were made to the temple by Vijaynagar Emperors. However in 1791 Marathas under Parusuram Bhau looted and burnt the temple. They were threatened to be ex-communicated from Hindu religion by the Mutt swamiji and they made amends by seeking pardon.
On the lawns a collapsed structure houses the Shiv Linga which is oddly shaped. The priest confirms that it was obtained from the river bed and installed. Adjescent to this structure one has a big Ashwat tree wherein snake gods are worshipped. In front of Rameshwara temple there is another temple known as Chintamani Narashimaswamy temple. The temple architecture reminds one of the Chola kingdom style but less impressive. Below the steps adjescent to the river bed there is a small temple at the confluence point of Tunga and bhadra.
Behind the chintamani temple there is Brindavan, which seems to be samadi place of priests who have passed away. It is adorned with Tulsi enclosure and is worshipped by priests even today. Entry to non-brahmins seems to be restricted. Opp to Chintamani temple remaining idols have been strewn around with cattles grazing around. It is ideal for antique hunters to grab the same and make some quick buck. I hope the state Museum takes possession of these idols and install them in one of the museum.
There are two Mutts in Koodli, one belongs to Advaita philosophy Shankar Mutt and other one represents Dvaita philosophy Arya Akshoya theerta Mutt. Shankar Mutt is also known as the Koodli Sringeri Mutt. It received patronage from the Wodeyars. A well maintained cows stable is undertaken by Arya Akshoya theerta Mutt.
Before entering the Koodli temple complex on the edge of the town there is another ancient temple. Even though it less visited, it gives an impression of ancient times. However all these temples have been whitewashed giving it an ugly look.
Overall the visit to Koodli gives one a feeling of religious fervor but devoid of much hassling of a crowded atmosphere.
Koodli is located on Hole-Honnur route proceeding to Chennagiri and Chitradurga. It can be approached from Bhadravathi as well as Shimoga, almost equi-distance. If one is short of time one can give this destination a go by during summer particularly
There is speculation with regard to the real architect or the real builder of the Mangalore tiled palace built on the banks of Tunga river. The location of the palace itself seems to have been a residential quarters during the Neolithic period with ideal supply of Tunga river water.
LEGENDARY When Lord Hanuman was enroute to fetch Sanjivini for the fatally injured Laxman, he stopped over at the ashram in shimoga. During Mahabharat times Bhima had bath in the river Tunga and performed puja of the Shivlinga installed by the Pandavas. The place where Bhima took bath is known as Bhima Madu and the linga where he worshipped is known as Bheemeswar.
The Palace is built in a typical Mangalore tiled roof, to withstand the heavy down pour. The durbar hall is built with wooden pillars all round giving an elevation of almost twenty two feet from the ground level. There is a mezzanine floor to accommodate the king for durbar. The wooden staircase leads upto the mezzanine floor. The carved pillars and artificial roofs is made of teak and rosewood. The paintings on the wall seems to be missing, maybe preserved elsewhere.
According to library books available in Shimoga museum the original builder of the palace was Hiriya Venkatappa Nayak ( 1592 – 1619 ) who was responsible for the construction of the palace. He fought many a battles against the Palegars, who were rebellious after the fall of the great Vijaynagar Empire. It is recorded that one Hanumappa Nayak who was Palegar at Sante Bennur became ambitious to challenge the suzerainty was defeated in the Battle at Hole Honnur. His son had to surrender Shimoga, Lakkavali and Gajjanur territory to Venkatappa Nayak. In view of the strategic importance Venkatappa Nayak constructed the Fort and palace on the banks of Tunga at Shimoga. He also constructed Bhuvangiri palace ( currently Kaveledurga in Shimoga dist)
The Palace was much larger structure, currently only the darbar hall survives the ravages of the war against Bahmani kings. The original palace seems to have been destroyed by Adil Shah and the wealth was looted by his soldiers. Thereafter Shivappa Nayak ( 1645 – 1665 ) recaptured Shimoga palace and rebuilt some of the destroyed edifice. The palace was built with Indo-Islamic architecture with balcony.
Fugitive Rajaram, son of Shivaji was given asylum when chased by Aurangazebs army. Queen Chenammaji ( 1679 – 1697 ) protected Rajaram against the might Aurangzeb. Rajaram was surrounded by the Mughal army, he managed to slip past all his valuables through his trusted Jadhav to Gingee fort in T.N. Later under a guise of commoner Rajaram managed to escape from Shimoga. The exact dates are not known of Rajarams stay. The British captured Shimoga fort and palace after defeating the local chieftain Dhondiyawagh from Chennagiri. The british occupied the fort in 1799 after defeating the remanents of resistance from Tipu’s feudatories. They were not impressed by the Fort and Palace, and decided to convert it as a Saw Mill. A plaque MPWD 1829 confirms the conversion of Palace into saw mill. The architectural beauty of the fort was lost with its conversion to a saw mill to store forest logs.
On first march 1983 the saw mill handed over the Palace to the archaelogical dept for renovation and maintainence of the heritage monument. The Kote police station was originally a horse stable. Originally the Fort and palace extended to more than 200 acres now it has come down to 10 acres, which has diluted the importance of the Palace.
The ASI has converted the Fort into a museum with all the artifacts being displayed around the palace premise. There are number of sculptures which have been recovered from Annavati forest, Basvapatna, Saluru, Kalkere, Choradi forest, Balligave, Somapura, Kannuru, Kolisalu forest, Baruru, Tavanandi fort, Gurupura, Islapura. Hopefully all these valuable sculptures recovered will be housed in a safe museum in future rather than openly displayed and prone to damage under extreme weather.
In conclusion the Nayaks palace has witnessed sedition, sexual encounters, sculptures and saw mill. It has been a mute witness to changing times for over a 400years.
LOCATION : Shimoga museum and palace is situated just after the bridge on the left turn, with just 1 km distance detour. The entry to the palace and museum is free with limited parking facility. Thanks to the museum authorities we were able to cull out information for benefit of travel buffs.
This place is a real delight for trekkers as well as religious person. A controversy erupted some years back when nude worship was in vogue to please the Renukamba, who is supposed to listen to woes of women. Many a issueless couple used to undertake a penance of sorts bathing nude in Vardha river and trekking almost 3 kms upto the temple to please the goddess.
CONTROVERSY
The practice of nude worship was treated as uncivilized by conservatives, whereas the hippie culture remained hep. Nevertheless the state govt. decided to act. The resentment among the staunch supporters to ban nude worship was quite understandable. They stripped the cops who came to prevent nude worship and therefore a controversy erupted. This was a trigger to ban nude worship completely from the State. Instead some other rituals are performed to substitute nude worship.
Legend has it that Renuka was daughter of a Brahmin. She was married to jamadagni and was blessed with 5 sons. She used to fetch water for prayers from Malaprabha river for rituals conducted by her husband. One day she was delayed because she stood mute witness to youngsters frolicking at the river bed. This prompted the sage to suspect her chastity and he order his sons to punish their mother. Four of them refused on one pretext or the other, and the sage cursed them to become ennuchs. Parashuram beheaded Renuka, and behold her head multiplied and spread across the region. In the quest to escape from further persecution Renukamba hid at Chandragutti caves.
Thus the statue installed in the small cave consists of King cobra with 7 hood and the head of Renukamba as a symbol of dedication. One has to climb around 200 steps to reach the Renukamba temple on the hillock without footwear. It is advisable to keep the footwear in the vehicle before venturing to climb. Half way through the climb one gets to see Ganesh temple which seems to be of recent origin. Next one gets to see multiple snake carved stones with a priest guarding the same. As one reaches the hillock one notices the Renukamba temple with snake hood type of rock projection blessing the devotees. On the left hand side there is a cave and on the premise a small Devi statue with a round stone is located. Locals place a rupee coin and lift the stone to fulfill their wishes. Opposite to the main temple Parashuram is worshipped in a small temple.
On the hillock there is yet another temple of sorts, if one wishes they can trek up, but we let go the opportunity for lack of time to cover rest of the circuit. The view point from here may give one a complete idea of the landscape and peep into the river vardha too. It would be a trekkers delight. This place seems to have been fortified for sake of protection from enemies in old days. The traces of the fort wall can be seen around the hillock.
One can exit after visit the Renukamba temple vide the other route making a full clock wise circambulation of the Chandragutti hillock. Probably it is developed to avoid stampede during jatras and shivaratri festivity when crowd would naturally assemble. Shoolada Berappa temple is located half way down the hillock, where 1000s of tridents are donated by pilgrims to fulfill their wishes. As one trudges along a hair tonsuring centre is available for pilgrims to dedicate their hair to the goddess. After which one approaches the pond named Tavarkere. Further on reaching the ground level one observes an enclosure with fresh water. LOCATION :
Chandragutti is located enroute to Banavasi from Jog Falls, one has to drive down to Banavasi and from there to Chandragutti. It is just 16 kms from Siddapur town. It is better to parcel food from Siddapur or Sagar since not many eateries are available.
What better way to spend weekend getway and series of holidays to dig into our legacy and heritage. It is worth traveling a 1000 kms on a round trip from Bangalore to Bandalike. Enroute if one can enjoy the nature and adventure of trekking it is an added bonus.
Bandalike is currently under final stages of resurrection or renovation by the ASI. After involving in refurbising Angor Wat in Cambodia, ASI has gained substantial experience in bring back the crumbling edifices to unravel the story of the times.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND :
According to the Gazette Bandalike is considered to an ancient ruined and deserted village north of Shikaripur. The missing link to unearth the history of Bandalike is provided by an inscription, which mentions that the place was ruled by wise old Chandragupta. There are more than 30 odd inscriptions written in old Kannada and Sanskrit ranging from 834 to 1369 Saka era. The inscription found dates back to many dynasties associated to this place. They are Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Kalachurias, Hoysalas, Yadavas and Vijaynagar Empire. After the defeat of Vijaynagar empire in 1565, Bandalike was subject to rampant arsenal and looting plundering all its wealth. Most probably the earlier vandalism took place at the time of Malik Kafur in 1321 AD, who was a general famous for raiding looting the wealth of all South Indian temples.
My surmise is that Chandragupta Maurya ( 324-298 BC ) when he abdicated his throne in favour of his son Bindusara in 298 BC. due to his conversion to Jainism. His guru happened to be Bhadrabahu. The guru through his nimitt gyan could forsee the advent of a decade filled with famine in the near future in Magadh empire. He alongwith his followers decided to relocate down south. Chandragupta migrated towards south along with huge followers of Saint Bhadrabahu. They migrated first to Bandalike . During their stay they got Basadis constructed in and around Bandalike. They spent 2 years at Bandalike meditating and teaching in the schools. In the meanwhile they were looking for a safe place and they re-located Chandragiri down further south to establish their base. An advance party was sent to establish the infrastructure at Shravanbelagola to settle down. Thus Bandalike is an important heritage centre and deservedly needs resurrection and maintainence.
The location is spread over 40 acres of landscape in Sorab taluk of Shimoga dist. which happens to be constituency of our ex CM Bangarappa and our current CM too is elected from nearby Shikaripur taluk. When two heavy weights are present we hope the infrastructure will be developed for tourists to conviniently reach the elusive destination. One has to definitely enquire his way to reach this destination. One approach road is through Shiralikoppa route, next approach is from Belligavi and the final approach is from Chikri route if one is travelling from NH 4. The roads can be treacherous in monsoon with vehicle taking a hit on the underbelly or getting stuck in the muddy swamps.
Veerabhadra Temple : On the north east corner Veerabhadra temple who is an avataar of Lord Shiva is built. This temple is dated 14th century obviously belonging to the Hoysala heritage. The image of the diety seems to be well embellished with weapons of destruction such as arrow, sword and protective shield. The image of mahisasuramardhini is located on the the mound along with another goddess with four hands.
Someswara Temple : This temple is constructed in old Chalukyan style. It is built in 1274 AD as per inscription. Boppasetti ( to be read as Boppaya Shetty ) is credited with the construction of the temple. This temple has two beautifully well sculpted perforated window channel. It served the dual purpose of protection against vandalism and cross ventilation. The window has various dieties, swans, lions etc adorning the panel. Episodes of Ramayana and Mahabharata are also featured on the facade of the temple.
Just behind the temple there is a mahanavami mantapa is located. This mantapa was used during the dusherra celeberations to rever the DEVI on an elevated platform. The idol is missing. It was constructed by Malla Dandanayaka in 1209 AD as per instructions of the Hoysala queen Abhinava ketaladevi ( wife of Ballala II )
Trimurthi Temple : A triple cellular structure belong to the later chalukyan era and constructed during 1160 AD. ( It may even belong to the Rashtrakuta era if datelines are little off track ) If we go by dateline than Western Chalukyan emperor Tailappa III ( 1151 to 1164 AD ) can be credited to the construction of the temple. The towers of the temple do not possess the Hoysala symbol, and the western gopuram has collapsed. Two other gopurams have withstood the ravages of time and ransack. One projection is of the simhalalata. This temple has a close resemblence to the Chatteshwara temple at Chatachattahalli near Halebid. The temple has been completely resurrected with a small Nandi adorning the enterance on the east. A figure of lord Vishnu adornes the north cell.
Shasharlinga Temple : This temple was constructed by Macchayya Dannayaka in 1063 AD. It is obviously dedicated to Lord Shiv with a big linga. 999 square lines represent the multiple lingas.
The chief diety of Bandalike is Goddess Banashankari ( formerly called Mayadevi ) A small temple is dedicated to the goddess. According to traditional belief of the times Mayadevi was sent by goddess Parvati to meet Allama Prabhu, who changed her into a divine form. Chanchala Odeya is stated to be one of the sponsorers for the development of this temple according to inscriptions in 1387 AD. There is a sati memorial for two wives who burnt themselves alive on the death of their husband. Ruins of some unknown temple too can be seen.
At Rasabhavi temple there is an idol of Hanuman and a slayer with a chopped skull is witnessed, locally known as siditale koduvudu
Shantinatha Basadi : A prominent Jaina temple is located on the right side of the tank known as Nagara kere or Nagateerta. This is known as Shantinatha Basadi, which is probably controversial, since it belongs to 912 AD which refers to fabled emperor KRISHNA II ( 878 - 914 AD , who built the famous Ellora cave, reign of the Rashtrakuta empire. An inscription states one Jakkiyabbe gave donations for up keep of this basadi. The basadi title was incorporated due to the renovation of the temple in 1200 AD. The image in the sanctum sanitorium is missing. A mutilated Jain teerthankara is found here and two statues of Lord Vishnu is also found.
My premise is that Bandalike, Belligavi, Belur and Banavasi must have been an inspiration for Suryavarman to build the world famous monument of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. During his visit to India during the reign of King Vishnuvardhan from the Hoysala dynasty to attend his wedding must have opened his eyes to build an edifice for future generations to cherish. How I wish that Bandalike too is ressurected to that standard ? giving us a glimpse of an era which was rich in using the elements of nature to its hilt.
The complex consists of the main temple which can be a Shivalaya temple with trikuta or gopurams. One gopuram is partially missing. The enterance is guarded as it were by a crumbling Nandi which is hardly 3 feet in height. On the facade of the temple one gets to witness the elementary gopuram or mantaps at eye level, with figures of god and godesses missing as it were. There are inscriptions in old kannada and sanskrit for scholars to re-discover.
Apart from the main temple the complex consists of 3 other crumbling edifices which have been beautifully resurrected by ASI, one is distinctly of Jaina style, another is Shivalaya and last one is probably dedicated to Lord Vishnu. One complex is secluded from this multiplex as it were, which is supposed to be a basadi, which was locked, and i had to climb over the gates to re-discover. One may get mislead by this single monument, have patience to discover the main complex. Only the villagers can guide.........like a shepherd guiding the flock. In fact I found a shepherd herding his flock of sheeps grazing the landscape at Bandalike. Another strange feature i found a an old man almost like a ghostly figure in midst of the field.( On the hindsight the ghostly town has some history ) Inorder to confirm that he was not I shouted for direction for further clues, and in reply he replied move on. It was just an hunch I drove to the main complex which was the filled with monuments and inscriptions. The greenary and landscaping was a visual treat for the eyes. Eureka ! it was a heady feeling with heavens too showering us with its bounty of mild rain to literally clearing the bad light and thick cloud cover for photography.
It was an absolute thrilling rendezvous as it were to discover an exclusive destination, which has not been covered in any of the travelouges as on date except vaguely without pictures or details. I hope you all too will enjoy the journey to this destination called as Bandalike........a heritage unparalled in history. It is a pleasure to unravel the newest destination to travel buffs for previewing before it is officially thrown open to the public with full details by ASI. Some inferences are matter of conjectures based on historical dateline, which is an original contribution.
NOTE : Bandalike has a potential to be resurrected like Angor Wat with plenty of water channels available in the vicinity and good rainfall legacy. Maybe in olden days it was close to Angor Wat terrain.
SIDELIGHTS : The surprise findings of Bandalike being associated with Kalamukha sect of Shaivism is an enigma of a forgotton practise. Kalamukha followers are basically tantriks who believe in appeasement of Lord Shiva with Human sacrifice.
Kalamukhas are considered to worship extreme form of Shiva known as Bhairava. Bhairava used to frequently visit the crematory completely nude with skulls hanging by their waist to protect their phallus. The skull sometimes acted as a begging bowl, and eating bowl. This ritual is supposed to be a pennace for slaughtering one of the heads of Lord Brahma in anger. The followers are accused of conducting surreptiously human sacrifice. Ujjain was a prominent centre for Kalamukhas and we derieve the information on the tantric practises from incriptions of Kaedeswara temple (1162 )AD.
Update : I happened to personally visit the ASI office and cullout more information on Bandalike on 13/10/2009, which i am updating. Acknowledge the help of ASI for this travelouge
Disclaimer : Folks dont blame me for your nightmare that you have visited a ghost town inspired by my travelouge. Lol
Keladi Nayaks were originally feudatory of the Vijaynagar empire. Choudappa Nayak was the original founder of the dynasty 1499 – 1540 who was basically a commander under the emperor Krishnadevaraya, who suggested he should take over as Governor of the territory to protect the interest Vijaynagar Empire.
History of Keladi Nayaks origin :
There is an interesting story on the founders of the Keladi dynasty. The two brothers Chavuda Cauda and Bhadra Cauda were originally residents of Hale-bayal in the Chadragutti pargana. They utilized two slaves Murari and Yadav to cultivate their field along with cows. One day their cow was shedding her milk over an ant hill. The slaves reported the miraculous events to their master immediately. Cauda brothers ordered the slaves to excavate the site. They discovered a small Linga, and the brothers decided that it was auspicious sign and they decided to build a temple on the very spot. After some days while ploughing their fields they came across an old sword which was buried in the field. The brothers kept it safely on the roof top so that they will smelt it, to make a scythe. Later they observed that crows were falling dead on the roof top. Than they realized that the sword had some miraculous power to vanquish enemies. Chavuda took possession of the sword and got it cleaned and polished. This sword was named Nagamuri. When the slaves were ploughing the field after a few days they stuck a cauldron which was filled with gold ornaments and coins. The brothers immediately buried the treasure inorder to secure them away from jealous neighbours. One night Chavuda had a dream that inorder to take possession of the treasures they should undertake human sacrifice. On hearing the dream the slaves volunteered to become volunteers for human sacrifice under the condition that their families will be protected and their names will be immortalized. In the dawn the slaves were beheaded and offered to the goddess as appeasement. The brothers now took possession of the treasure and raised a small army in surrounding villages. Thus the Keladi dynasty was formed. Even today at the enterance the human sacrifical mound is present, which is known as Katte.
KELADI CHENAMMAJI
The greatest ruler of the Keladi dynasty was Shivappa Naik ( 1645 – 1665 ) who is credited to have built the famous Bekal fort and many other forts in the surrounding districts. After his demise there was a vaccum of leadership, later Somshekar Nayak ( 1665- 1677 ) ruled the entire territory. In the initial years he was busy fighting wars to consolidate the territory. He married Chennamma in 1667 and enjoyed a good family life. But he fell prey to vice of a courtesan Kalvathi. He ignored his wife Chenammajji. He started ignoring the administration of an empire. The king moved over to courtesans residence to further his vice of drinking and sexual escapades. Her foster father Bramha Mauta was an expert in Black magic, he took over the mind of the king who now became a puppet in his hands. Somshekar turned mad and started committing atrocities against women. One account states that he had murdered a pregnant women with his own hands. He started lusting at every opportunity and tried to rape women. This behaviour compelled a brahmin Sommayya to murder the king and forever get rid of the monstor. He was however given death sentence by Shiv Bhaktas, who claimed that he had bought disrepute to their creed.
The Bahamani kings were waiting and watching to take advantage of the situation arising out of the king being weak and totally surrendered to vices. They decided to check out the preparedness of the Keladis. Rani Chenammaji became alert because of the spy network. She wore the mantle of a commander and successfully warded off the enemy attack.
In 1679 she took over the mantle from her husband.and started amidst conspiracy in the kingdom for overthrowing a weak women ruler. But she outsmarted all her enemies and hung some of the traitors for treason to teach others a lesson. In fact her commander wanted his son to named as a heir to the kingdom. But she refused and jailed the commander for treason against the Queen.
Meanwhile the war clouds were looming on the border with Aurangazebs son in hot pursuit of Shivaji’s son Rajaram. Against all advice she protected the son of the great Shivaji Maharaj, listened to the tales of horror. She than safely packed off Rajaram to Gingee where he survived till he was recalled by Maharaj. Thus Keladi Chenamma became a firm ruler calling the shots against adversary. She was happy that she was able to set an example to traitors.
She adopted Basappa Nayak who was trained to become the future king. He was trained in warfare, administration and leading the army against enemies. At the age of 16 Basappa Nayak was crowed as the king of Keladi kingdom. Thus Chenamma 1679 - 1697 after a reign of nearly 18 years handed over the strong empire.
Rameswara temple : At the outset as one enters the temple it looks like a residence with an ordinary tiled roof building looming out of the middle of the road. It looks like any other traditional house in most coastal Karnataka with mangalore tiles adorning the roof.
One inside the complex one finds transformation into a ancient structure. The three temple complex houses the Rameswara diety ( Linga and Nandi ), Veerabhadra and Ganesh. The pillars are beautifully decorated with mythical gods and animals. On the ceiling one finds the mythical bird two headed Garudabande.
Inside the temple complex one can find various statues the famous one is of Lord Ganesh and Veerabhadra. If one observes closely statue of Rani Chenamma is also installed riding a horse. Below Lord Ganesh Rani Chenamma is paying respect along with her consorts. On the reverse of the temple complex which is almost facing the enterance a vastu diagram is sketched on full wall panel. There is a huge manasthamba on the back yard of the temple. It seems temple has been altered subsequently according to vastu traditions.
Many a blogs point out that Chenamma ruled for 25 years which may be wrong according to evidence collected from Shimoga Library. Nevertheless it does not belittle one of greatest women rulers of ancient India.
Museum : There is a Museum located outside the Keladi Rameswara temple which is run by the state government. Many a times it is closed on holidays too. 10 to 5 pm is the official timings on the weekdays.
Location : Keladi is just 8 kms from Sagar town on the Sorab road.
When the region is blessed with bountiful rainfall, forest produce, variety of spices, plenty of sea food, fruits in the form of banana, papaya and pineapple and lot of hermits and sages, the temptation for the royalty is to have a huge bank of consorts. Follow the leader, and we find the nobles, ministers and merchants following the king. In such a liberal environs, sex is debated and immortalized. Erotica on the temples facades reflect the perception of the royalty. Ikkeri & Hosagunda are classic example of the erotic sculptures under the patronage of the kings.
Inorder to satisfy the lust of the kings probably sex gurus were busy culling out more indepth knowledge and arriving at some conclusion. Kallaynamalla’s Malla’s produced the love manual in the form of Anana Ranga in 1172 A.D. Maybe this was based on the fabled Kamasutra by Vatsayana. The Freudian sexual urge empowered the royalty to seek more knowledge. The artisans too wanted to be recognized by public, as one who could execute without flinching or embarrassment what takes place in privacy of bedroom to pavilions of temple. The sculptures are scuttle and elegant when compared to Khajuraho. The panels displaying erotica is hardly one square feet in size. The canvas for erotica has been deliberately kept to miniscule proportion when compared to other characters.
The Aghoreswara temple at Ikkeri demystifies erotica along with the Linga placed in the sanctum. The Nandi acts as a consort to the Lord in the mantap located in front of the main temple. The huge pillared hall is decorated with various geometric designs indicating jewelry worn by women folk and dancing postures of devadasis of the times.
The elephant at the enterance of the temple is the royalty way of welcoming the visitors.
Various theories justifying the erotica on the temple façade is put forward by the so called experts. Firstly it was an attempt to surpass their peers and ancestors at Aihole. Secondly it was mild form of sex education for the future generations, Thirdly it conveyed the pulse of the common man at olden times, Fourthly it was used a spirit to ward off evil and fury of nature in form of lightening and floods and Finally it was a perfect treatise on Kamasutra for future generations.
The Uma Maheswara temple at Hosgunda is located before Sagar, just 1.5 km deviation into the forest. Currently the temple is under massive renovation. There is a mutt which is coming up adjescent to this monument. The road to this temple is quite rugged with full of pebbles. There is an organic farm enroute to the temple. One will be wonderstuck at the erotica displayed in 12 panels of the temple. It was just an eye opener, that the Keladi kings were patroniser for erotic sculptures.
From Ikkeri to I pill we have come a long way in enjoying sex the natural way. Maybe the days of condoms are numbered. Westerners are definitely J considering the fact that Indian society was more liberal in olden days. Just imagine some of them dismissed erotica on temple walls as aberration or sign of immoral society.
LOCATION : Hosagunda is located just off track enroute to Sagar from Shimoga. It is just 1.5 km minor deviation from B.H. highway before reaching Sagar ( 3 kms ). Ikkeri is a deviation from the Sagar town towards thirthahalli. It is also just 3 km.
Normally the priests refrain from acting as a guide to the tourist, my wife took the initiative and requested the priest to spend a few minutes to explain the historical importance of this temple town.
Banavasi was known from the days of Emperor Ashoka. He sent his missionaries to Vaijantipura to spread the gospel of Buddha. The Shatvahana dynasty took over and reigned supreme for two centuries. Rashtrakutas too ruled over this territory for a period of 2 centuries. Sonda rulers too dominated over this territory for a brief period. The Chalukyas reigned with feudatories based in Banvasi, till Kadambas took over the reign. Thus the influence of all the dynasties is witnessed in Banavasi.
There was a huge fortress in Banvasi, which seems to have crumbled with elements of nature pounding the Fort walls. There are some signs of the fortress in the compound of the Madukeswara temple. The book written by George Moraes dwells into the history of Kadambas with the book title Kadamba Kula The is based on inscriptions deciphered.
Banavasi was also known as Jaladurga, since the vardha river flowed in three directions of the city. The mighty river is now tamed due to lesser rainfall. It probably covered the fourth side too with its tributaries.
Madukeswara temple was built by the Kadambas. It was in honour of the Linga which was honey coloured found on the banks of the river Vardha. The name signifies to honour the Lord of the mighty forests which was surrounding Banavasi. The temple seems to be dedicated to Lord Shiva, with the other sect claiming it was originally a Vishnu sect but later converted into Shiva.
There is a Nandi ( bull ) who is consort of Lord Shiva guarding the temple as it were. His eye is directed at both Shiva and Parvathi temples which is located sided by side. The walls of the temple is adorned with dancing postures of devadasis, who used to dance inside the premises to please the Lord. Interesting Lord Shiva is known as the destroyer of evil. Probably the dancers were pressed into service to cool the Lords temper.
Some innovative sculptures point to a combination of cow and horse on the façade of the temple. One has to closely observe this phenomenon. There is a huge 40 foot pillar with a small Nandi at the enterance of the temple. When one takes a circumbulation around the temple complex, one can find literally small gudi or mantaps housing the snake gods, Rama, Vishnu, Brahma, etc from the hindu mythology.
On some days a Brahmin family serve food to the devotees by charging a nominal fee of Rs 5 per head, and if one is generous he can donate the rest of the amount on voluntary basis. Since it was dusherra time when we visited we found good number of visitors.
There is a small private museum outside the temple complex, which is absolutely free. But as usual a donation box is kept for visitors to donate with their free mind. The museum inside the temple complex too houses a lot of sculptures recovered from surrounding areas and crumbled temples. It was interesting to note that a tiles merchant has rebuilt a small temple besides the main complex since he prospered in his business. There is another temple which is privately occupied due to encroachment.
The highlight of the collection is that of a Stone cot, which is beautifully carved. This cot was donated by the Sonda rulers to the treasury. The remanents of Buddhist relics and viharas are found in and around Banavasi. Thus Banavasi is also considered to be ancient holy city after Varnasi in terms of age. The secular fabric of the temple town is retained.
One can reach Banavasi from Jog falls via Siddapura, which is hardly 35 kms with well laid out road. Banavasi was known amongst the Greek Philosopher and geographer Ptolemy, Huen Tsang, Alberuni and even Kalidasa who wrote Meghdoota a love lyric, too has been inspired by Banavasi. Huen Tsang called Banavasi as Konkanpura. He mentions that Banavasi was filled with temples, Buddhist viharas and monasteries. A huge sandlewood Buddha was installed in one of the vihars. The forest surrounding Banavasi grew plenty of sandlewood trees.
The design of the temple clearly indicates that it is constructed with a view to protect the temple from heavy downpour in the region. The western ghats is rich with flora and fauna. The king cobra territory ranges from Agumbe ghat upto Banavasi. We ended our trip paying respect to the Lord and giving a small dakshina to the priest and the women serving the food.
Many locals know about Kubetoor for its famous son of the soil, the ex CM Mr Bangarappa. We enquired about this destination since the place was not listed on map or tourist circuit. A ray of hope came about, when I read a blog with minimal details mentioning Kubetoor as a museum of temples. When we enquired around when we reached the destination through Jade from Banavasi we were disappointed and found some statues lying scattered around. When we asked for temple they guided us to some new concrete structure. On further probing with a school teacher she guided us to Kotipura, which was supposed to belong to Badami Chalukyan heritage. It is 3 kms away from Kubetoor on the state highway proceeding towards Balligave. Basically there are 3 routes to reach this destination. One is from Balligavi up north around 25 kms, Next is via Jade towards Annavati via Kubetoor village on to the state highway towards Balligavi 15 kms. Next is obviously via Annavati or togarshi from NH 4.
The complex of temples at Kotipura reminds of Chalukyan style of construction. Just as one enters the complex, one the left lies a small temple below the ground level maybe a small pond must have been created for devotees to wash their feet before entering the main complex.
Apart from the main temple complex which is filled with pillared structure to keep the roof from collapsing. Considering heavy rainfall in the region, it must have been a real challenge to build a temple which would not crumble due to leakage. ASI seems to have resurrected some portions of the temple to prevent collapse.
The layout of the temple complex seems to be well laid out by ASI, with numerous small mantaps which may have been salvaged from nearby area to protect against vandalism. The Chalukyan temple complex with only skelton presense of Pillars and walls is quite superb sight.
Keladi dynasty seems to be associated with construction of this temple at later stages.
Never before have I undertaken research before undertaking a trip to the Malad territory, which is famed for worship of spirits ( bootha kola ), land of the King Cobra, where Pineapples are grown, Nude worship is practiced, where rivers merge in the form of tungabhadra, where spice and rice is grown. Anxiety built up with unrelenting rain pounding the region, which obviously was a bounty for tourists wanting to see Jog in full blossom. Can we capture Nature at its best with failing light condition ? Leeches are another danger one has to face during the rainy season, for a diabetic it is a scary proposition, will our vehicle endure the torturous journey after a decade was troubling my mind.
Some of the destination were not listed on the map such Kubetoor and Bandalike which were supposed to good places to visit, along with Arleguppe. I wonder sometimes why the map publishers don t look from angle of tourists ? Are they deliberately avoiding mention of the tourist destinations to seek guide or tourist operators help to go on package tour and aid the tour operators.
Some questions were raised by one of the blogger with regard to the linkage of Angkor Wat with Indian architecture. It raised my antenna, to find some concrete evidence.
Hoysala kings Vishnuvardhan’s Reign ( 1108 – 1152 AD ) blends with the
Contemporary reign of Suryavarman II ( 1113 - 1150 AD )
The main deity is Vishnu for both the rulers, who later promoted other religions
Too in secular fabric.
Suryavarman II was probably inspired by visit to Balligavi and Belur temples to
Build Angkor wat. He seems to have invited skilled artisans from this area to Cambodia to fulfill his construction of his dream edifice.
ASI was requisitioned to carry out massive restoration work of the Angkor wat
Between 1986 to 1992 in lieu of their expertise to carry out the same before it was
Declared a World heritage.
Finally the clinching evidence was provided by the discovery of Cambodian
Featured statues available in the Museum.
SHANTALA DEVI, the dancing queen
The story of Shantala Devi is very interesting tale which has been narrated down the annals of history and converted into books by G.V. Iyer, which is described in a nutshell beautifully by Sashikiran. The fictionalized story is in the background of Hoysala reign when King Vishnuvardhana adornes the crown. Vishnuvardhana ( 1108 – 1152 ) inherited a kingdom after declaring his independence from the Chalukyas to reign supreme for nearly four and half decades.
Inorder to stablise his kingdom, he had to fight many a battles against Chalukyas ,Pallavas and Gangas. During this period of consolidation he was busy in strategic warfare leaving no time to think of marriage. His mother used to goad him to marry and the King used to be stead fast in resolution. His take on avoiding marriage was simple a person who lives by the sword dies by the sword. He used to quote the example of his brothers widows. He used to tell his mother look at the plight of my brothers widows, the destiny of the kings is to be felled by the sword or arrow or be killed by traitors to the throne. Why should I get married and invite widowhood to my future wife.
Vishnuvardhana’s mother was troubled constantly in her mind, but destiny had some surprise in store. Suddenly one day she spotted the beautiful Shantala while returning from Belur temple after praying to the Lord for granting her wish to see her son married so that the progeny is carried forward. She invites Shantala to the palace to check out her antecedents.
Shantala visits the godmother in her palace. She comes to know that Shantala is the daughter of the General Marasingamayya and her mother is Manchikabbe. The queen mother is happy that Shantala is well versed in dancing bharatanatyam, singing, playing veena and good in Sanskrit and cooking too. She asks her to send her mother next day to check out her inclination towards a marriage alliance.
Once the queen mother is convinced regarding antecedents of Shantala she is eager to finalise the marriage, but how to convince the stubborn and head strong Vishnuvardhana. She is convinced that Shantala’s beauty will attract her son at once. So she invites Manchikabbe and here husband along with Shantala to attend the Upanayana ( thread ceremony ) function
The godmother devises a plan which will ensure that Vishnuvardhana will fall into the booby trap of getting convinced regarding the marriage. The godmother insists that her son should introduce each and every guest to her. Shantala is accompanied by her best friend Lakshmi who is equally beautiful along with her parents. After introducing the general and his wife, he is perplexed how to introduce two young girls ? Suddenly the forces of physical attraction or Kamadev takes over. The stubborn king melts like butter in a frying pan under the flame of passion.
After witnessing the blushing Vishnuvardhana, she is convinced that her son may ultimately relent. But to ensure that he does not get back to his old selves, she invites Shantala to give a dance performance in the palace. But she is reluctant to dance alone, so she insists on joint performance. Once again Lakshmi is tagged along for a dance performance. The king is silently made to watch the performance from the balcony. Both the dancers vying with each other, gave one of their best performances till date. The king is fully entertained and he is convinced that he may at last surrender to kamadev.
Shantala knew that the godmother had solid reason to invite her to perform in front of an elite audience. She never saw the king, who was seated on the balcony well concealed to witness the performance. While returning home she was cheerful and in jolly mood. But when she noticed her friend Lakshmi why she was sulky and sad in appearance. Lakshmi remarked that she will be soon married to the king and she would loose a good friend. She was happy for Shantala but sad that her friendship would sooner or later come to an end.
The godmother now convinced that her son would agree for marriage after seeing the dance performance of Shantala. She went to the dining table when her son was having breakfast and started the topic of marriage. Don t you think Shantala would be a perfect wife ? She wanted to check the reaction. Even though Vishnuvardhana was now convinced regarding the maiden, he was reluctant. He uttered both Shantala and Lakshmi are good friends and it seems marriage would bring them more sadness than happiness. If I am to marry I would prefer to marry Lakshmi, but I would not like to separate their long drawn friendship. This put the godmother in quandary ?
Meanwhile Shantala had made up her mind and she informed her parents that she is not willing to get married unless Lakshmi too is wedded to the King on the same day. The joyous mood in their household came crashing down. They would have to embarrassing convey the message to the godmother regarding the challenge thrown by their daughter.
Lakshmi’s parents were orthodox Vaishnavites. Godmother knew many of their community members refuse to marry outside theirs. She however broached the subject matter with Lakshmi’s parents and they agreed readily for sake of their daughter. They also knew the King was very secular. He had built the Belur temple dedicating it to Lord Vishnu. Thus a reluctant suitor was tamed by clever moves of the Godmother. It was akin to taming the shrew.
Invitees from all over the world flocked the mega wedding. Apart from Shantala and Lakshmi, the King was offered 5 more maidens for marriage. Instead of one Vishnuvardhan ended up marrying 7 on the auspicious dusherra time. The marriage ceremonies were clubbed with dusherra festivity. The streets were lit up with lamps, fireworks lit up the sky, procession of dusherra entertained the crowd for 9 days, free food was offered on all 9 days and it was an eventful occasion to remember for all the guests.
Suryavarman II with his huge flock from Cambodia enjoyed their trip. He was mighty impressed by temples in Belur, Halebid and surrounding areas. He was determined to build an edifice beyond compare in his own backyard. Thus the idea of constructing Angor wat was germinated at Halebid. But how is he going to execute such a marathon task ? He consulted his minister and he was advised it would be impossible without the expertise of artisans from Hoysala empire. Suryavarman II requested for audience with Vishnuvardhana and told him that he wants to build something similar in Cambodia. Vishnuvardhana readily agreed to lend him 50 artisans and the master architect. Enroute back to Cambodia the plans for Angor wat was finalised.
BALLIGAVI :
The word Balli in kannada refers to creepers grown in forests or gardens. Gavi means cave. In ancient times Balligavi backed up as an University for learning with numerous schools with the earliest being the Jaina basadis. The availability of water in plenty with lakes and rivers surrounding the area was an ideal learning atmosphere. Malnadu area is generally blessed with abundant rainfall due to western ghats.
There were five mathas and vidyapeetas along with numerous basadis which are in various stages of crumble. If one travels across towards Talgunda from Balligavi one can spot the remains of all the school of learning. The number of education institutions were 13 in nos, 54 temples, 12 Jain Basadis, 3 Buddhist Viharas, palaces, and residential mud houses with 60,000 residents. My surmise is that it was an ideal place for kings to hide when they are in danger from their enemies. Kadambas were in constant warfare with the Pallavas forcing them to seek hideouts in such a domain where the enemies would unlikely to hunt them for revenge.
Kodiayamatha, Kadareswara matha, Jaina basadis etc all formed seat of learnings for Hindus and Jains alike. On the lake bed many a temples were constructed by the respective sects for the disciples to visit as a routine in the morning and evening. Allama Prabhu, a saint and poet belonged to Balligavi. One of his famous poem goes like this
I sawThe fragrance fleeingWhen the bee came,
What a wonder!I sawIntellect fleeingWhen the heart came.
I sawThe temple fleeingWhen God came.
The dancing queen Shantala Devi too hailed from Balligavi along with famous architects and sculptors of the Hoysala era, Malloja, Dasoajja, Nadoja, Siddoja etc originated from Balligavi. It will be safe to assume there was a school for sculpting too in Balligavi patronized by the Kadambas, Chalukyas and Hoysala royals. Akkamma Maha Devi too was married to a merchant hailing from Balligavi.
Garuda kambha looks like a leaning tower enroute to Talgunda. It seems to have been relocated due to crumbling structure, with the base reinforced with ordinary rock stones, which are normally used for constructing foundation of a house. The incriptions engraved on the pillar of Gandebherunda confirms that this pillar was erected by one Chamundaraya according to inscription dated 1048 AD. In the year 1063AD Chamunda Raya is probably crowned the king of this territory.
Panchalingeswara temple has crumbled enroute to Talgunda, and instead an ugly concrete structure has been constructed to house the Lord. One can find evidence of all the old pillars scattered in and around the site. It is a tragedy that ASI and state archeological department have permitted such blatant vandalism. I only hope they salvage all the remains and install them around the temple, instead of allowing priests to build their residence and thereby wiping out traces of ancient heritage.
The number of inscriptions exhibiting the patronage of various kings in Old Kannada and Sanskrit are found in plenty. Some of them are stored in Balligavi and rest have been shifted to Bandalike complex. Talgunda inscriptions seems to be myriad, but now only one is found in the compound with shape of phallus. One of the inscription stone is seen outside the compound which can be easily vandalized. Talgunda complex is a disappointment for heritage seekers.
Huen Tsang the Chinese traveller visited India inorder to follow the trail of Buddhism and universities across the country. He visited Nagayi and Balligavi which were ancient centres of learning enroute to Kanchipuram. He was impressed by the artisan skills and carried some miniature models of temples and characters as memento
Balligavi complex contains the main kedareswar temple complex , with surrounding temple edifices from Badami Chalukyan era. ( 685-86 AD) They seem to have been moved from neighbouring land in lieu of their crumbling structure. The statues adorning the façade are missing. The Hoysala symbol of Sala slaying tiger is embedded by Hoysalas subsequently 1060 AD, by King Vijayaditya.
Another temple was constructed by the Hoysala king in 1070 AD, which is located in the middle of the village. The temple is called Tripurantaka, which we missed due to paucity of time.
The complex contains a huge collection of inscriptions, statues of Shiva, Vishnu and Teerthankaras. A trimurthi statue with Chinese features gives us some indication that the sculptors were involved in construction of Angor wat temple. This statue is also known as Buddhist goddess Tara Bhagvathi. The legend of the King cobra is also idolized. This may give us an evidence of tantric form of worship was prevalent. The Museum is under construction.
