Sri Bhuvaneshwara Swamy Temple, Nagamangala, near mandya in Karnataka.

A featured post on Indiblogger

27^th January 2019.

This Bhuvanesvara Temple is on the next street of Sri Saumyakesava Swamy Temple. The existing temple details are not matching with the details written in the books. 

Presiding Deity : Sri Bhuvanesvara

Some of the important details are…

The temple is facing east with a Garuda gamba / thoon. The temple is a very ordinary and temple structure built of soap stone with additions of granite  in latter period. It was built with simple plinth of several moldings of which excepting  the two top moldings rest are all hidden under the ground due to increase of road level. The upper most molding has the decoration details. The wall surface is also simple. It has regularly placed pilasters and in between the pilasters are found carved flowers.  Kapota is yet another decorated molding  indicating that originally there was a Kadamba Nagara Vimana / Sikara above the sanctum. But unfortunately the upper part of the kapota is reconstructed with brick and mortar. The arthamandapa /  navaranga is a later structure of the granite. The ceiling just in front of the doorway of the Sukhanasi has the representation of eight dikpalas / ashta dikpalas surrounding Siva, all carved in low relief.

There are few sculptures kept inside the arthamandapa / Navrang namely those of Brahma, Vishnu, Nandi, Ganesa, Surya and Mahishasuramardini which do not exhibit great artistic quality.

INSCRIPTIONS

It is difficult to fix the date of the Bhuvaneshwara temple as, we do not have any Hoysala inscription referring to it by way of its construction, renovation or gifts. The earliest epigraphic reference to a Shiva temple at Nagamangala is dated 1511 CE, when a ranga mandapa was added to the original temple. This was done during the period of Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara dynasty. Another inscription refers to this temple when some grants were made in 1549 CE. Renovation of the same temple by some individuals in 1845 CE, including the gopura, vimana, utsava murti is referred to in another inscriptions. Thus all epigraphic references to this temple are a later date. However, a surmise can be made. Nagamangala was made into an agrahara during the Hoyala period. Normally the Hoysala Agraharas contain a Vishnu temple and a Shiva temple. As the above mentioned Saumya Keshava temple is dedicated to Vishnu, the other Siva temple could have been Bhuvaneshwara temple. In that case the Bhuvaneshwara temple could have been built along with the Saumya Keshava temple. 

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The opening and closing times are unpredictable. Try your best between 07.00 hrs to 10.00 hrs.

HOW TO REACH:

The place Nagamangala is about 68 KM from Mysuru / Mysore and 45 KM  from Mandya.

LOCATION:CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---