Wednesday 8 February 2023

Sri Kashi Vishweshwara Gudi / The Kasi Visvesvara Temple / காசி விஸ்வநாதர் கோயில், Pattadakal, Bagalkot District, Karnataka.

The visit to this Sri Kasi Visvesvara Temple at Pattadakal was a part of “Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta and Aihole temples Heritage visit” organized by வரலாறு விரும்பிகள் சங்கம் Varalaru Virumbigal Sangam – VVS and எண்திசை வரலாற்று மரபுநடைக்குழு,  between 24th December to 28th December 2022.  I extend my sincere thanks to the organizers Mrs Radha and Mrs Nithya Senthil Kumar and Mr Senthil Kumar.


The Pattadakal temple complex is on the banks of river Malaprabha, comprises nine temples near to one another in a row and from the north to south as follows…..
1. The Kadasiddhesvara Temple
2. The Jambulinga Temple
3. The Galaganatha Temple
4. The Chandrasekhara Temple
5. The Sangamesvara Temple
6. The Kasi Visvesvara Temple
7. The Mallikarjuna Temple
8. The Virupaksha Temple
9. The Papanatha Temple ( This temple is 200 meters away from Virupaksha Temple on south side )

காசி விஸ்வநாதர் கோயில்
7-8 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு காலகட்டத்திற்குள் கட்டப்பட்ட இந்த சிறிய கோயிலை காசி விஸ்வேஸ்வரா கோயில் என்று அழைக்கின்றனர். கிழக்கு நோக்கி கட்டப்பட்டுள்ள இந்த கோயிலும் நாகர வகையை சேர்ந்தது. விமானத்திற்கு மேலே சிகரம் காணப்படவில்லை. சதுர வடிவ கருவறையின் உள்ளே லிங்கம் காணப்படுகிறது. இங்கேயும் நதிப்பெண்களான கங்கை யமுனை சாமரம் பிடித்தவாறு நிற்கின்றனர். வடதிசை தேவகோட்டத்தில் சிதைந்த அர்த்தநாரீஸ்வரர், லகுலீசர் சிற்பங்கள் காணப்படுகிறன. தூண்களில் பாகவத புராணம். சிவ புராணம், ராமாயண காட்சிகள் காணப்படுகின்றன. இராவணன் கைலாய மலையை பெயர்தெடுக்கும் காட்சி, கல்யாணசுந்தரர், குழல் ஊதும் கண்ணன் போன்ற சிற்பங்களும் இங்கு உள்ளது. விமானம் சுகநாசிகையில் நடனம் புரியும் சிவன் உமையோடு காணப்படுகின்றார். வெளியே சிதைந்த மண்டபத்தில் இடப வாகனம் சிவனை நோக்கி அமர்ந்தவாறு உள்ளது,

A few metres away from the southwest corner of the Sangamesvara Temple is the Kasi Visvesvara temple of the rekha-nagara model. This temple is probably the last in the series of the model in the locality.

ARCHITECTURE
Originally, the temple comprised the mukha- mandapa, sabha-mandapa, antarala with a doorway in the front and a garbha-griha of which only the last three components and the adhishthana of the first component are extant.


Some metres eastwards from the mukha-mandapa is the Rishaba mandapa but without the walls and the roof. On either side of the ornate pancha sakha-dvara-bandha to the small sabha-mandapa is a saiva-dvara-pala and deva-koshtha with pediment of diminishing rows of laced miniature niches on the top. At the bottom of the sakhas of the dvara-bandha are beautiful bas-reliefs of the Ganga and the Yamuna besides other attendants and mithunas/dampati. In the lalata-bimba is Garuda holding the tails of the naga-sakhas. In the sabha mandapa are four central pillars of which three are of the ghata-Pallava order and one is with amalaka in the zone of the padma-bandha. In the padma bandha of the pillars are sculptural panels with the depiction of gods and goddesses or scenes from Puranic episodes relating to Siva leelas and Krishna leelas. They are in circumambulatory order…

On the left hand pillar From south
i. Ravana lifting Kailasa with Siva Parvati in the Kailasa, Nandi and kubja ganas;
ii. Gajasurari Siva / Gaja Samhara murti  ( the god slaying demon in the form of an elephant and as desired by the penitent demon, covered himself with the skin from behind held with his hands. The elephant's head is shown below.
iii. Natya Siva with a kubja gana performing an acrobatic exercise and
iv. Gangadhara Siva Bhringi, a staunch devotee of Siva, dancing with him.


On the left front pillar from south:
i. Krishna stealing butter from the pots of the Gopikas, slaying the demons Sakatasura, Kakasura, uprooting the Yamalarjunas in the form of trees, Dhenukasura in the form of a bull, Kesi in the form of horse and sucking the very life of Putana, a demoness while she fed poisonous milk to the baby, all commissioned and sent to kill Krishna by the evil minded Kamsa, the king of Mathura and Krishna's uncle. 
ii. Vishnu as Trivikrama, Seshasayi, (Govardhana) Giridhari Krishna, 
iii. Krishna subjugating the inebriated elephant, Kuvalayapida, slaying Kesi in the form of a horse and 
iv. Devaki, Krishna's mother lying on the couch, Vasudeva taking the baby Krishna to Gokula, Krishna as gopalaka and Krishna mortifying Kaliya, the venomous serpent dwelling in the Yamuna river, on the right front pillar.


On the right front pillar from north:
i. Siva-Parvati with the baby, Skanda on the waist,
ii. Siva as unfathomable Jyotirlinga with Vishnu and Brahma as well as dikpalas, 
iii. Devout Rishis offering obeisance to this great resplendent god and iv. Ardhanarisvara.


On the right hand side pillar from east:
i. Siva as Tripurari seated along with Parvati in the chariot aiming his arrow at Tripurasura indicated by three small niches at the top left corner. Brahma is the charioteer. Ganesa is seated near the vehicle.
ii. Siva as Andhakasurari.
iii. Sages offering worship to Siva.
iv. Siva-Parvati marriage (kalyana sundara murti ) with Brahma and Vishnu.


On the pilasters are lions standing on their hind legs in side profile in bold relief.

In the ceiling is a panel displaying Siva with Parvati holding the baby Skanda on the waist and with Nandi. From the beam right over the pillar capitals are elephants and at the corners and the yalis.

The pancha-sakha-dvara bandha of the antarala is ornate with saiva-dvarapalas on the sides. On the bottom surface of the beam is a Siva linga being worshipped by the kinnaras. In the ceiling of the garbha-griha is a relief of a fully blossomed lotus flower.


On the exterior of the side walls are stambha-panjaras (tall, slender pillared niches ). In the niches on the northern wall are the sculptures of Ardhanarisvara and Jatadhari Siva. At the top of the walls just below the cave is the frieze of kubja-ganas carrying flower garland. Over the garbha-griha is a rekha- nagara-sikhara of five bhumis with the amalaka crowning it. It is slender and has a conspicuous tall vertical appearance. The gradual curvilinear profile is gentle. The sukanasi is prominently and distinctly projected with mukha-patti displaying the sculpture of Natya Siva.


HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
This temple belongs to Seventh to eighth century CE. It may be noted that the dates suggested here to some of these temples of this complex are, however, provisional. Eminent scholars vary by decades in dating.

POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHALUKYA DYNASTY
Jayasimha, a Chalukya King probably the founder, carved out a region and ruled. He was immediately followed by Ranaraga who expanded and consolidated the kingdom. However, not much is known about these two Chalukyan kings. It was Pulakesi I, the third king in the genealogical line, who made Badami, the capital of the kingdom in 543 CE and built a fort on the top of what is now known as the North hill. His son, Kirtivarma (1) with the assistance of Mangalesa his younger brother, conquered the neighbouring kingdoms of the Kadambas in the south- west, the Mauryas of the Konkana, the Kalachuris etc,.  It was his celebrated grandson Pulakesi-II who extended the political boundaries of the kingdom far and wide from Narmada to Kaveri. He installed his younger brothers Jayasimhavarma in the north comprising Gujarath region and Kubja Vishnuvardhana in the eastern division while he ruled the central part from Badami. However, he met with a crushing defeat at the hands of Pallava Narasimhvarman of Kanchi in 642 CE. Badami was 'terra incognito' for the next twelve years. In 654 CE,  Vikramaditya - I, Pulakesi's son, succeeded in re-conquering the kingdom from the Pallavas. The kingdom grew further and was prosperous, strong and generally peaceful under the next three rulers in succession namely: Vinayaditya, Vijayaditya and Vikramaditya II in spite of their frequent, successful wars particularly with their arch enemy, the Pallavas others in the north. Kirtivarman- II, the son of Vikramaditya- II though capable and experienced in wars and administration, succumbed to the 756 CE onslaught by Dantidurga, the Rashtrakuta chief ruling the Ellora region. This ended the Badami Chalukyan rule. The Badami region thus became a part of the Rashtrakuta kingdom.

By 973 CE the Chalukyas till then keeping a low profile at the appropriate occasion seized and rose to power supplanting the Rashtrakutas. Later Kalyana in Bidar district, Karnataka had the fortune of becoming the capital of the kingdom and continued to be so till the ruling dynasty fell in about 1189 CE. However, Pattadakal gained some importance by becoming the headquarters of an administrative division known as Kisukadu 70 ruled by Nolamba Pallava Permanadi Singhanadeva as mandalika (feudatory) under Someshvara II, Bhuvanaikamalla, the Chalukyan king, around 1070 CE and hundred years later by Chavumda II of the Sindha family, a mandalika to Noormadi Taila- III the Chalukiyan king. Chavumda’s senior queen  Demaladevi and their son Achideva by virtue of his position as prince were then enjoying  Pattadakal.

Ref
1. A Hand book on World Heritage Series Badami, published by Archaeological  Survey of India. 
2. A Hand book on Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal & Aihole issued by VVS in Tamil. 
3. Temple architecture and Art of Early Chalukyas Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta, Aihole by George Michell.

HOW TO REACH
Pattadakal Group of temples are  13 KM from Aihole,  17 KM from Badami and 459 KM from Bengaluru.
Nearest Railway Station is Badami. 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE





--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

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