The visit to this Shri Bhoganandiswara
Temple, Chikkaballapur, Andhra Pradesh, was a part of “Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka Heritage walk”, from 25th to 28th 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.
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
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
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 mandapam
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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