Long before
colonial Bangalore was deemed the capital of Karnataka, there was a lesser
known capital for the state, which goes by the name of Banavasi. Set up in the
9th Century AD by the Kadamba dynasty, Banavasi was known to be the
earliest known capital of Karnataka. As with most dynasties of that era, the
kingdom revolves around the main temple in area. Madhukeshwara Temple occupies
that significant stature in this regard. So prominent was Banvasi and the Madhukeshava
temple that the temple originally built by Kadambas were renovated/extended by
Chalukyas and the Hoysalas. As a result one can easily notice the different
architectural styles starting from the garba griha to the mantapas. And yet
there is no denying the fact that the mastery of the Hoysala craftsmen shine
through. Hoysala craftsmen are top-of-the-class pioneers in stone
craftsmanship. And their style is so distinct and uniform you can identify it
pretty easily. The famous Hoysala artisan Jakkanacharya is being credited for
the Hoysala additions. Im really beginning to doubt the existence of this
character called Jakkanacharya. He’s been being associated with every Hoysala
Temple dotted across the state. So unless he’s a superhuman sent from outer space,
it’s highly unlikely that he would have worked with each of these temples
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| Onte Kallu Mantapa |
Banavasi is a
true-blooded Kannadiga pride temple town. Not only was it considered the first
capital of Karnataka, it was also the birthplace for Kannada’s first poet,
Adikavi Pampa. Few coins discovered here a few years ago, date back to the 5th
Century with Kannada inscriptions on it. This means that the existence of a
mint factory here can be considered amongst the oldest in the country.
When we arrived
here, we found out, much to our dismay that there were no ASI guides who could
give us a sneak peek into the history of this magnificent temple. But just as
we were loitering around clicking pictures, a priest herded us together and
starting giving us a guided tour of the temple. Even though we knew pretty well
that there was no such thing as a free meal, we didn’t mind paying the priest
for an insight about the temple. The
priest began by giving a brief history of the temple built by the Kadambas and
subsequently renovated and improved upon by the Chalukyas and Hoysalas. He told
us the reason behind the Shivalinga being called Madhukeshava. The large linga
here is in the color of honey (madhu) contrary to the black that we see
elsewhere. He also talked about the specialty of the large bell outside the
garba griha. This bell made from pancha loha (5 metals) is unique because the
gong of the bell rings for close to a minute. He then showed us the Triloka
Mantapa carved out of a single stone. It is undoubtedly the work of the Hoysala
craftsmen. It goes without saying that such artwork can only be produced from
the Hoysala breed of artisans. This is followed by the trademark Hoysala pillars,
that’s a common garnish in every Hoysala Temple. The concave and convex
reflective pillars not only accentuated the viewing experience of the performing
dance artists but also speaks volumes of the mastery of these stone artists.
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| Can you spot the right eye of Nandi? |
The Onte kallu
Mantapa (single stone mantapa) is yet another classic from the Hoysala staple –
again, carved from a single stone. The other notable and no less artistic
brilliance is the Nandi statue. The first thing most of us might straight-away
notice is that the Nandi is not directly looking at Shiva but is rather looking
slightly to the right. The reason behind this is that while Nandi’s left eye is
looking directly at the Shivalinga, its right eye is looking at Parvathi which
is separate temple adjacent to Shiva’s. Such is the mastery of the stone artisans
of that era that despite a maze of pillars, the right eye of Nandi is
transfixed on Parvathi Devi. Unbelievable? Well, you can confirm it yourself by
standing in front of the Parvathi temple and looking at Nandi. Another
important attraction here is the Ardha Ganesh. This statue of Lord Ganesh is
split vertically right at the middle. It is believed that the other half is in
Kashi.
These are only
some of the stand-out features of this temple. By the end of it all we were left
dizzy with amazement. With the Sun beating down hard we decided to spend a
little more time admiring the place. After all it’s not every day you get to be
a part of history. All that textbook knowledge of our History lessons look so
worthless compared to the couple of hours we spent here.
Now did I say there’s-no-such-thing-as-a-free-meal
a while ago. Ok, I take that back, because there was a free anna daanam in the
temple served at exactly 1PM. We devoured the hot rice, blistering sambar and
the super cool majige like there’s no tomorrow. With a content stomach and
heart we started for the next leg of our Sirsi trip – Sahasralinga.
Getting-there: Approx 30 kms
from Marikamba Temple.
Must-Do: Ask the priest for a
guided tour. Free Anna Daanam at 1PM.
Must-Don't: Vandalism and
Littering
My Rating: 8/10
