VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Marehalli near mandya, Karnataka.

Saturday, 2 February 2019

Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Marehalli near mandya, Karnataka.

26^th January 2019.

Marehalli was an agraharam during Ganga’s period and later named Rajasraya Vinnagaram during Rajaraja-I (985- 1012 CE), of the Chozha dynasty. With the victory of the Hoysalas over Chozhas at Talakad, the agrahara was passed on to them and was subsequently ruled successively by Vijayanagara and later by the Wodeyars of Mysore, Hyder Ali, and Tippu Sultan in that order.

The presiding deity : Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy

Consort : Sri Bhudevi & Sri Neela devi

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple faces east with a 40-foot Garuda gamba / deepasthambham, Balipeedam, and Thulasi madam. On the left is a Vijayanagara period 16-pillared Mandapam and on the right is a 4-pillared mandapam. Sri Veera Anjaneyar Sannadhi immediately after the entrance mottai gopuram. In the mukha mandapam Garuda, Dwajasthambam and balipeedam. The temple might have a Rajagopuram and the Kodipens ( Ganga and Yamuna ) reliefs are kept as loose sculptures on the right side of the entrance. There is Shiva Temple on the right side of the entrance.

The Shiva temple

ARCHITECTURE

The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, antarala, and Mukamandapa was built during Chozha King Rajaraja-I, in the 10^th Century. The sanctum is on a virutha kumuda adhistanam with kapotam and Yazhivari. An ekathala vimana is over the sanctum. Moolavar Lakshmi Narasimha is with Lakshmi on his lap in a sitting posture. Moolavar is also called Mudukappa and Soumiya Narasimhaswamy. In the 108 pillared prakara sannadhi for Bhudevi, Sri Neela Devi, Nammalvar, Vedantha Desikar.

At the entrance of the main complex on the right side is a Shiva Temple with two thala vimana constructed after Chozha's rule and later maintained by Hoysalas. The sanctum sanctorum consists of a sanctum, antarala, and an ardha/Navranga mandapa. The temple’s pond with neerazhi mandapa is on the roadside. The temple is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

INSCRIPTIONS AND DETAILS

This temple was built by Rajaraja Chozha-I and called "Rajasraya Vinnagaram". By conquering Melai Chalukya King Sathriasraya he added his title "Rajarasrayan". The 108 pillar front mandapa and other sanctums were built by the Hoysalas and Vijayanagaras. Even though the temple was built by Rajaraja-I, his inscriptions are not there, but Hoysala King Vishnuvardhan’s Tamil and Kannada inscriptions are found. 1148 AD Vishnuvardhan’s Tamil inscription mentions about donation of a Village called Kanchanur of Vadakarai Nadu and this temple was called as "Narasinga Perumal" temple. The Kannada inscriptions belong to Vijayanagara and Mysore Vandayars.