Expecting the unexpected at somanathapura

Born into a typical south Indian hindu family, it was but natural to visit ancient temples as a matter of routine. Getting holidays coupled with weekends would mean visiting some temples alongwith some other places of interest. Never did I pause to think about the history, the sculptures and the legends and stories associated with them.

After having been to some familiar European countries  and the USA, I did see some beautiful and distinct architecture there,and that led me to think of  the intricate and  ancient architecture of our temples .The human mind always tends to compare and contemplate. This opened my eyes and spurred my curiosity to learn more about our ancient temples and their history. Social media has also been a catalyst in shaping my thought process. 

Recently  when a friend suggested that we visit a place called Somanathapura, I just said yes without knowing much about the place.

The first sight of the place was itself quite endearing. We could see digital India at work. We had to scan a QR code to enter and the neatly laid out lawns  in the entrance were a pleasant surprise. 

Somanathapura is a signature monument of the Hoysala empire. It is a temple dedicated to lord Keshava and the main deities are Janardhana, Keshava and Venugopala. Since the temple was repeatedly attacked by the Islamic rulers Mallik Kafur and Mohammed bin Tuqlaq in 1326AD, the deities are in a damaged condition, hence unfit for carrying out the daily puja rituals.

Hearing the name Somanathapura, one would naturally assume that it would be a Shiva temple, while actually it is a temple dedicated to Keshava, one of the sahasranama of lord Vishnu. 

It was built by Somanatha Nayaka, one of the chieftains of Narasimha-3 of the hoysala dynasty. The gopura  and the temple is a selective mix of both the dravidian and nagara styles  and is called the vesara style of architecture. 

The entire structure has been made from soap stone  with interlocking system without using any of the modern materials like cement etc.The rocks are cut into pieces, made holes on both sides, rods inserted and fixed by interlocking system. It's all great to hear, but how they did it in those ancient times leaves me baffled.In fact most of the sculptors have signed their names below their creation  in halekannada script. 

The outer walls have horizontal patches with the lowest row showcasing elephants, the next showing warriors riding on horses etc, the row above that has flowers, fruits etc.the next row has scenes from mythology like Ramayana, Mahabharatha etc. Some carvings depicting the life of the people in those days are also there.

The interior consists of 18 stupas all made by the rod interlocking system, all of them so similar to each other that you would think they are machine made.

The ceilings inside the monument have great intricate carvings, like 64 vadhya goshti, the various stages of lotus flower in bloom,cows' feet etc

Some of them have been damaged, but we can still see the great efforts behind the sculptures. Its an irony that (as shared by the ASI certified guide) it took 18 long years to build the structure,  but a few days to destroy. The invaders have disfigured the face and arms where ever possible. The intention was to halt the puja rituals  and for the temple to be useless to anyone. What a sadistic pleasure!!!Did they not have any moral science lessons in their childhood, it makes you wonder!!

While doing the parikrama outside, we can see the stories of Mahabharatha, Ramayana and bhagavatha purana in  the correct sequence. 

The  Dashavathara carvings ( only 8 avaathars available) are a feast to the eyes and are very detailed in nature. Its interesting to see that almost all the idols are holding various types of ayudhas in hand.

The natya mantapa, the main deities idols'  intricate sculptures  and so on, we could go on and on about the very intricate and detailed structure of the  sculptures. 

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My long standing wish to visit a hoysala art structure was finally fulfilled and  has left me awestruck. By the way, Somanathapura is just a 3 hours drive away from Bengaluru. The monument has certified guides who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable and it would be wise to avail their services. One of the interesting facts shared by our guide is that as per hearsay lot of wealth stored under the main idols were looted and taken away by the invaders. It is interesting to note how far south the mughal invaders had reached. While northen and western India had borne the brunt of the repeated invasions and had most of its temples destroyed, in the south of India most of the ancient monuments still retain their glory. Relics like Somanathapura are a reminder that south also had to face such cruel attacks. 

This journey has now spurred in me a desire to visit more of our ancient relics and learn about them in a more detailed way.