(शेष भाग) I woke up , got ready and by 8am I was inside the m | मंदिर • Temple
(शेष भाग)
I woke up , got ready and by 8am I was inside the magnificent Chenna Keshava Temple. This temple was built in 1116AD by the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana to mark his victory against the Cholas & is dedicated to Vijayanarayana an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
This temple complex consists of a 443.5ft x 396ft court with several Hindu temples and minor shrines inside it. This temple stands on a star shaped platform. The temple artwork depicts scenes of life in the 12th century; There are numerous friezes of dancers & musicians as well as pictorial narration of Hindu texts Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas. It is a Vaishnava temple that reverentially includes many themes from Shaivism and Shaktism, as well as images of a Jina from Jainism and the Buddha from Buddhism. The Chennakeshava temple is a testimony to the artistic, cultural and theological perspectives in 12th century South India and the Hoysala Empire rule.
The Chennakesava temple is a fine example of high quality work of art in stone. There are more than 80 Madanika (damsel depicted in sculptural form) sculptures in the temple, dancing, hunting, standing under canopies of trees and so on. The 4 Madanika figures on the wonderfully engraved columns of Navaranga are unique creations of Hoysala workmanship. It is said that Shantaladevi, the accomplished queen of King Vishnuvardhana was the model for one of the sculptures in the Vavaranga – Darpana Sundari.
The building material used in the Chennakesava temple is chloritic schist, more commonly known as soapstone. It is soft when quarried and allows artists to more easily carve details. Over time the material hardens.
The intricacy & beauty of the sculpture was among the best, I have seen so far.
Until then please enjoy my story and the pictures and most importantly, stay safe and be smiling….
@Mandir
