Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (Rangasthala), Dinnehosahalli, Karnataka.

The visit to this Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, also known as Rangasthala at Dinnehosahalli, Andhra Pradesh, was a part of “Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Heritage walk”, from 25^th to 28^th December 2025, organised by “எண்திசை வரலாற்று மரபுநடைக்குழு”.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, also known as Rangasthala, is located in the Chikkaballapur district. Sri Kangasthala Divya Desha, as the name suggests, is the holy land where Sri Ranganathaswamy resides. It is a 

Village residence established by the sages.

Moolavar  : Sri Ranganathaswamy

Thayar     : Sri Mahalakshmi

Some of the salient features of this temple are…..

The temple faces south with a 7-tier Rajagopuram with a 4-pillar mandapa. A stucco image of Garudan holding a poorna kumbha is on the top of the mandapam. Stucco images of Anjaneyar and Garudan in Anjali hastam are on both sides of the Rajagopuram (Inner side). Deepa sthamba, Balipeedam (Beautifully sculpted in octagonal shape), Dwajasthambam, and Garuda are after the Rajagopuram. Stucco images of Maha Vishnu’s 10 avatars are on the top of the maha mandapam. 

Dwarapalakas are at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum. In the sanctum sanctorum, Sri Ranganatha Swamy is in a reclining posture east – west on Adiseshan, keeping the head on the west side. Sridevi and Bhudevi are at his feet. Moolavar is believed to be made of a single Salagra stone, hence called Ekasila. Garuda is seen on the base of Ranganathar. The moolavar holds Dhansu, Kalpavrishya Kamadenu, conch, chakra, and gadha. A Jala is provided on the sanctum sanctorum wall for the darshan of Pada.

Pada darshan

In the praharam, shrines of Andal, Thayar Sannidhi, Vaishnava saints like Ramanuja, Chakratalwar, Vedanta Desikan, Nagars, and an ant hill. In addition, the sacred tanks, Shanka Tirtha and the Chakra Tirtha, are outside the temple.

Thayar is in a separate sannidhi facing south. Stucco images of Andal’s sitting and standing postures, Andal as a child with his father Vishnu Shitthar alias Periyalwar, are on the top of the sannidhi.  

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PC - website

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ARCHITECTURE

Apart from the east side Rajagopuram, 3 tier Rajagopuram is one of the other 3 directions. The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, and maha mandpam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a  prati bandha adhitanam. The sanctum sanctorum was constructed in a basket shape from adhitanam to prastaram. A brick one tala salakara vimanam with greevam and sigaram is on the prastaram. Stucco images of Mahavishnu’s avatar are on the tala koshtams. The sanctum sanctorum was constructed like a bamboo basket from the adhistanam (Chakkara vimana) to signify the legend. There is a feeling of Sri Ranganathaswamy being in the middle.  

The mandapa pillars are with the sculptures of Mahishasuramardhini, Chaturbhuja Vishnu, Krishna, Kalinga nardharar, Ramar, Hanuman, and Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, etc.

Kalinga Nardhana

Chaturbhuja Vishnu

Mahishamardini

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The original temple may belong to the 12^th to 14^th century Hoysala / Vijayanagara period. During Muslim’s invasion, the temple was destroyed and reconstructed by the Nayakas or the Palaekars. The base of the Moolavar is kept as it was, and a new Moolavar was installed. Garuda holds Ranganathar, who can be seen at the base.

Without disturbing the Kalkaram of the Rajagopuram (mottai gopuram), a new Rajagopuram was constructed with concrete over the original Rajagopuram with a gap, and kumbhabhishekam was conducted on 23^rd August 2013.  

LEGENDS

In the Ramayana, Srimad Valmiki gives Sri Rangaswamy to Vibhishana in a basket. Reminiscing about this sweet scene, our elders become filled with devotion when they see that the sanctum sanctorum has been built in the shape of a bull. Sri Rangaswamy, thinking that it is the original wealth, gives the Swami to Vibhishana. Sri Ramachandra Swamy is a witness to the friendship and love that Vibhishana had for Vibhishana. Following that, Sri Vibhishana was installed in Sri Kanga, but not for the purpose of the Chaupakartha. The Saptharishis did not install it. The reason for the installation of the Pati Pavane is that the Sude Purajya must have been created in this very place.)

In addition to that, there is a cave in the Chatta. There is a legend that the Saptharishis are there in the Gati. This is not without reason. Whenever Srimaddhamayana Parayana is performed in Sri Rangapattana, Adiranga Shimsha, Madhyaranga, Sri Ranga Maradi, Ranganada Nawami, Induru, and after performing the Rahava of the Peetas, if one finally visits Sri Ranganatha Swamy at Srirangasthala, one becomes a sinner. Therefore, every year, thousands of devotees visit this Vaitogadarshan, where the Sun, who has descended on this Swamy on the previous day, anoints the house of Sri Seshasai with his radiant golden rays, fulfilling their wishes.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, etc. A five-day Kalapavittosana and the Bahotsava are celebrated with great pomp and show from Margashir Shuktapash to Pournami.  

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open from 08.00 to 12.00 hrs and from 16.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs, and the same will vary on function days.

CONTACT DETAILS

Sri Seshadri Bhattachariar +9172592 66679 and Naveen, Staff +9199728 93744, may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH

The Rangasthala temple is in Thippenahalli, 4 km from Chikkaballapur town in Karnataka. This is one of the temples in their one-day visit organised by Karnataka Tourism.

Ranga Sthalam is about 62 km from Bengaluru.

The nearest Railway station is Nandi Halt.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

The Rajagopuram was built without disturbing the Vijayanagara period mottai Gopuram

A beautiful Balipeedam 

Ant Hill

Old Chariot stone wheels with a New Chariot

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Shri Bhoganandiswara Temple / Sri Bhoga Nandishwara Gudi, Chikkaballapur, Karnataka.

The visit to this Shri Bhoganandiswara Temple, Chikkaballapur, Andhra Pradesh, was a part of “Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Heritage walk”, from 25^th to 28^th December 2025, organised by “எண்திசை வரலாற்று மரபுநடைக்குழு”.

Moolavar  : Shri Bhoganadiswara

Moolavar  : Shri Arunachaleswar     

Consort    : Shri Abitha Kujambal

Consort    : Shri Girijambal

Some of the salient features of this temple…

The temple faces east with a temple tank on the north side of the temple. The Ranga mandapa and Tulabara mandapa are in a separate enclosure between the main temple and the Temple tank. Nagars are under a peepal tree. The Chariot mandapa and the old temple’s stone wheel are on the right of the entrance to the main temple. A mottai gopuram is after the Chariot mandapa. Dwajasthambam and balipeedam are after the mottai gopuram.

Both Bhoganandiswara and Arunachaleshwar are on a square avudayar. There are 3 Nandis / Rishabas in front of both sannidhis. The Bhoganandishwara Rishabam is under a chozha-period mandapam.

In praharam, Sri Abitha Kujambal, Shri Girijambal and Nagars.

Nagars outside the temple

 Nagaras inside the temple 

ARCHITECTURE

The temple complex consists of twin temples dedicated to Siva as Bhoganandisvara (north) and Arunachalesvara (south). The oldest part of the temple is undoubtedly the northern shrine known as the Bhoganandisvara shrine. Both the temple resembles each other in plan, size and construction. The temples consist of a garbhagriha, a sukanasi and a four-pillared navaranga. The garbhagriha has ornate stone towers and enshrines a linga. The sukanasi and navaranga are provided with sculptured jalis. The temples have individual Rishaba mandapas in front and a common mukha mandapa. In between the two shrines is a small kalyana mantapa built of black stone intricately carved with creepers and birds. Behind the kalyana mantapa and between the two temples stands a small shrine of Uma-Mahesvara, to the west of which an ornate stone railing connects the two temples.

Uma-Mahesvara sannidhi

The western part of the mukha mantapa, with highly ornamented square pillars, is borne on a platform which is about 3 feet high and is built connecting the two Nandi shrines. The eastern part of the mukha mantapa consists of a spacious patalankana and two L-shaped jagali platforms. An interesting object in the Patalankana is a large monolithic stone umbrella. Three smaller shrines of Kamathesvara and the goddesses Apita Kuchalamba and Girijamba are also found inside the temple complex.

Common mukha mandapa

Kinnanar

Veerabhadra

The temple complex is enclosed in a cloistered prahara measuring 112.8m x 76.2m with double mahadvara, which formerly had a tall brick tower. The other structures in the temple complex include a vasanta mandapa, tulabhara mandapa and three stepped tanks located on the north, north-east and south-east of the temple complex.

The temples are notable for their large and intricately carved Sabha-mandapa, inscriptions and artwork. Much of it is now attributed to Shaivism, but also significantly to Vaishnavism (Narasimha, Vishnu), Shaktism (Durga, Lakshmi) and Vedic deities (Surya, Agni). The beautiful sculptures of Dwarf Bhutaganas, Durga, a Deity with two hands dancing on makara, Muruga/ Karthikeya with his vahana pea cock, Dwarfs in floral design, Dhasa bhuja Nataraja, are in the Jalas of the sanctum sanctorum / ardha mandapam.

A Deity with two hands dancing

Ashtabhuja Natarajar

Durga

Bhuta ganas

Thandava Murthy

Murugan

Bhuta ganas

This monument has been declared to be of National Importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The inscriptional evidence indicates that the Bhoganandisvara temple was constructed about the year 800 CE by Ratnavali, the queen of King Bana-Vidyadhara. The Banas, the Cholas, the Hoysalas, the Vijayanagar rulers and the Palegars had contributed to the construction of the temple, and it ranged from circa 9th to 15th century CE.

It has been usual among antiquarians to treat the whole building as a homogeneous one belonging to either the Pallava or the Choļa period. Such a view would lead to a serious mistake from the point of view of architectural history. The Nandi temple has structures belonging to various periods commencing from about 800 CE. Among these can be distinguished the contributions of the Baņas, the Cholas, the Hoysaļas, the Vijayanagar rulers and the Pällegars.

One of the Chozha period inscriptions on the Nandi mandapa pillars records a gift to Shiva Temple, Vishnu Temple, and Jain Temple as, Thevathanamaka (தேவதானமாக)…, Thiruvidaiyaddamaaka (திருவிடையாடமாக)…, and paLLisantham (பள்ளிசந்தமாக)... which is unique. 

The Jains, quoting an inscription, in the same village on a rock near the Gopalasvamı temple on the Gopinatha hill, claim that this temple was constructed as a Jain temple and converted to a Hindu temple. The inscription reads as…

 “svasti šrîmat jitam bhagavatâ Jina-vara-vrishbhêna Vrishabhena purâ Kalı-avasarppınnyân Dvâvarê yugê lôka-sthıtı-raksharttham kankshita-manushya-janmana purushottamêna Sûrya-vamša-vyôma-sûryêna mahārathêna Dâšarathına Râma-svâmına pratishthâpıtâya bhagavatô'rhatah Parameshthinah sarvvajña-sya chaitya-bha(ga) vanaya pašchât Pândava-jananya Konti-Devya punarnna-vikrıta-samskârâya Bhûmı-dêvyās tılakāyamānāya svarggåpavargga-padayos-sõpâna-padavibhûtâya dhara-dhara-Dharanendrasya phana-manı-lilanukarinė dharâdhara-varâya Jınêndra-chaitya-sânnidhyât pāvanāya parama-tîrtthaya tapaš-charaņa-parâyana-maharshi-ganadhyasıta-kandaraya Šrikundākhyāya (stops here)”.

The oldest part of the temple is undoubtedly the northern or Bhoganandi shrine with its stone tower and ornate square-shaped Banas and Bhoga-Nandi. Navaranga pillars and ceiling. A copper plate grant of the 17th year of the Rashtrakūta Govinda III, corresponding to 806 CE, mentions the existence of the temple of “Mahānandīśvara.” Another copper-plate record of the year 810 CE informs us that a Sivālaya was constructed at Nandi by Ratnāvaļī, the beloved queen of the king Bana-Vidyā-dhara and mother of prince Bauarar-Dadda, in the reign of the Ganga, king Jayatēja. Mr R. Narasimhachar suggests that Ratnāvaļī might be identical with Marikabbe, whose father was Indra, the younger brother of Govinda III. However, it may be agreed that the Bhoganandiśvara temple was constructed somewhere about the year 800 CE by Queen Ratnāvaļī. It appears at this time all of which bear clear evidence of the workmanship of this period in the shape of profuse use of horse-shoe arches, rows of musical Yakshas, squarish pillars and a granite tower, parapet, etc.

Nolambas and Arunachala,

The Arunachalēśvara shrine, which is to some extent an imitation of the Bhoganandīśvara shrine, appears to belong to a slightly later period. The only record which may be considered in connection with its construction is a stone slab in the compound bearing an inscription in old Kannada which appears to state that in the reign of Nolambādhirāja, ie, about 880 CE. Puliyaņņa, son of Ainürvāchāri, received some gifts for constructing a gõpura in the courtyard of the Nandi temple. The reading is not beyond doubt, but it is possible that the shrine of Aruņāchalēśvara was constructed, parallel to and in imitation of the Bhoganandiśvara temple. It also contained only the towered garbhagriha, the sukhanäsi and the navaranga. The central portion of the latter appears to have been repaired some time during the Vijayanagar period, as indicated by its pillars. A Kannada inscription at the foot of the Tandavéśvara image in the south window may paleographically be assigned to the Nolamba period.

Thus, when the prince Räjëndra Chola conquered this area, there appear to have stood these two twin temples. Since Rajendra's inscriptions appear on the platform of the north Nandi shrine, it may safely be inferred that the two Nandi shrines with their cylindrical granite pillars, etc., were constructed after Bidhnin Kulöttingen Chôla, Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and Vira-Ballāļa being recorded in the Tamil inscriptions. The two buildings were, however, definitely separated from each other except perhaps for a common basement platform.

Kalyana Mantapa.

Some centuries later, in the space between the two temples was put up the beautiful kalyāņa-mantapa (Pl. XVII, 2) for the construction of which we have no records. Since it is a soapstone structure lavishly ornamented in the most intricate design with a domed ceiling, we are led to attribute its workmanship to the late Hoysala period or the generation immediately following. It is possibly a production of some governor of Viraballāļa like Ilavanji Vāsudēvarāya or of some early Vijayanagar governor. The structure is Dravidian in style, but it has a Hoysala look. The middle part of the 14th century would be a suitable date for it.

Vijayanagar and the Mukha Mantapa.

Somewhat later, when the Vijayanagar Empire was at its zenith, the shrines of Umāmaheśvara with its moustached dvārapālas, the stone screen behind it with its pointed arches and the western part of the mukhamantapa with its highly ornamented squarish pillars standing on a platform were put in between the two temples, thus connecting the two Nandi Shrines. At about the same period or slightly later, the rest of the mukhamantapa, the inner prāhāra, the Mahādvāra and the shrines of the two goddesses were built.

Pallegars and the Northern Courts.

The last additions to the temple are probably the second and third courtyards containing the vasantamantapa with its lion bracket pillars and the Śringi Tīrtha with its surrounding cloisters and their heavy brick and stucco turrets. These perhaps belong to the late Vijayanagar or Pāllegar days.

Ref:

Annual Report of Mysore Archaeological Department for the Year 1932.

 Rishaba Mandapam

Inscription tablets installed in the praharam

LEGENDS

Due to the presence of the Uma Maheswarar Temple, devotees pray to Shiva for marriages. Once the marriages are over, as a part of thanksgiving, the couples visit the temple and worship Uma Maheswar.

 

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

A great festival is held in the temple during Śivaratri, which generally falls in February each year, and is accompanied by a large cattle fair.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept open from 06.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs and from 16.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

The mobile numbers +918156262648 and +919840996749 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH

The temple at Chikkaballapur is about 2 km from the base of the Nandi Hills, 13 km from Devanahalli, 57 km from Bengaluru, and 75 km from Tumakuru.

The nearest Railway Station is Nandi Halt (2 km).

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

Chariot wheels

Chariot mandapam

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---