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, the Morning session we had spent by visiting the temples at Yelandur, Muguru, and Somanathapura. Yelandur and Somanathapura temples have 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 an 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 the Vijayanagara Dynasty. The front entrance mahadwara is called Bale Mandapa with Vijayanagara Period Sculptures. The adhisthana is simple and the 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-foot diameter stone rings at the four corners. The Pillars have the reliefs of various avatars of Vishnu.