VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Sri Gaurisvara Temple, Yelandur, Karnataka.

Sunday 17 December 2017

Sri Gaurisvara Temple, Yelandur, Karnataka.

07^th December 2017.

Apart from Hero stones at Thalavadi, this time we planned to visit some of the old temples of Karnataka. on 7th December 2017, Morning session we had spent by visiting the temples at Yelandur, Muguru and Somanathapura. Yelandur and Somanathapura temples has excellent & elegantly carved Sculptures, Pillars and Vimanas.

YELANDUR Sri Gaurisvara, 16th century Vijayanagara Dynasty temple is still in worship and maintained by the Karnataka state Archeological Department. The Sanctum Sanctorum Consists of Sanctum, Artha mandapa and a open mukha mandapam. In the prakara, sannadhi for Ambal, Pancha lingas, small mandapa with a inscription tablet over which a Stucco Nandhi is sitting and the front Entrance mandapam.

Pichadanar Panel

Moolavar is about 6 feet below the outside ground level, facing east. In the artha mandapam images of Vishnu, Shanmukha or the Arumugam sitting on a peacock, Parvati, Mahishamardini, Bhairava, Durga, Virabhadra, Hero stones and Ganapathi.

This 1590 CE temple was built by Singedeva Devabhupala, a ruler of Handinadu, a feudatory of Vijayanagara Dynasty. The front entrance mahadwara is called Bale Mandapa with Vijayanagara Period Sculptures. The adhisthana is simple and walls around are embellished with beautiful groups of reliefs Andhakasura mardana, Bhikshatana murti, Bairava, Kalimardana, Dakshinamurthy, Siva, Narasimha, Krishna leela, Mahishamardini panel, Vishnu’s various forms, animals, monkeys, etc,. This mandapa is decorated with chains of 1 feet diameter stone rings at the four corners. The Pillars has the reliefs of various avatars of Vishnu.