Kundani, a Capital City Hoysala Dynasty Under Veera Ramanathan's Rule, near Hosur near Hosur, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu.

A continuation post of the Krishnagiri Heritage visit: dolmens, Cairn circles, and rock art at Mallachandram 

11^th March 2018.

 

"Kundani," a part of Krishnagiri District, was once the headquarters of the Hoysala king Veera Ramanathan, who ruled the Hoysala dynasty (1935 to 1954 CE) in the 13th century CE under the control of the Pandyas. He was not a very popular king of the Hoysala dynasty. He was the great-grandson of Veera Ballala II and son of Veera Someshwara (1235–63 CE), who ruled the Hoysalas under the Cholas. The power of Krishnagiri was shuffled between the Cholas and the Pandyas, whichever was in power in Tamil Nadu. It is presumed that Veera Someshwara, the grandson of Veera Ballala II, and his son Veera Ramanathan ruled the Hoysala dynasty during the same period, keeping their headquarters in different places near Krishnagiri. 

During his rule, Veera Ramanathan renovated the Kailasanathar temple of Tharamangalam, which was originally built by the Ketti Mudali kings. During his rule, a well-known “MARBIDIGU KINARU” at Thiruvellarai near Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, was reconstructed by one Kudanthai (Kumbakonam) vanikan (Merchant) Uyyaneri kaattinaan. An inscription at Aragalur, Sri Kamanatheswarar temple, speaks about the donation of a Village, Nattarmangalam near Salem, to this temple. He was known for punishing offenders to the maximum extent. One of the inscriptions at the Panneswara Nayanar Temple at Panneswararmada, near Kaveripattinam (the Temple was built by the Kulothunga Chozha-II -II 1133-1150 CE) says that a government official who accepted a bribe and failed to restrict was punished by death. Veera Ramanathan died at Kundani (present-day Hosur) on 19th Dec 1295.

As the capital of the Hoysala Dynasty, Kundani might have been buzzing with activities, but now it bears a desert look. Only the ruined temples remind the glory of the Hoysala dynasty. The stones with inscriptions from the temples are strewn around. The Shiva temple is in dilapidated condition but still under worship, which will be covered separately, and the Kundani Lakkamma temple was renovated, keeping the base structure. New Anjaneyar and Renganathar temples were also built on the same site.  

 

A dilapidated Mandapam of a Shiva temple

A dilapidated Mandapam 

 A dilapidated Mandapam 

 A dilapidated Mandapam of the Vishnu temple

 A dilapidated Mandapam 

 A dilapidated Vishnu temple inscription stone 

 A dilapidated Vishnu temple 

 Vishnu in a dilapidated temple – waiting for whom? 

 Anjaneyar temple 

Ranganathar temple 

   Kundani Lakkamma temple  

 Kundani Lakkamma temple  

 Kundani Lakkamma temple  

Kundani Lakkamma temple  

  Hero  stone in front of the Kundani Lakkamma temple  

  Hero / sati stone in front of the Kundani Lakkamma temple  

  Hero stone in front of the Kundani Lakkamma temple  

 Hero / sati stone in front of the Kundani Lakkamma temple  

sati stone at Kundani Lakkamma Temple 

 Hero / sati stones dumped 

Hero / sati stones dumped 

 The remains of the ruined temples  and mandapams

 The remains of the ruined temples  and mandapams

  The remains of the ruined temples  and mandapams

 Sambal medu was once occupied during the megalithic period

      Iron slag and the spout for pouring molten metal. The evidence of human settlement 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

... to be continued, Shiva temple at Kundani, the ruined capital of the Hoysala Dynasty.