Musafir

This trip to the district of Hassan, Karnataka is the most satisfying trip of mine and i have enjoyed writing about it as much as i did when visiting. Even though Hampi Trip will be my best ever (i understood the greatness of Indian Temple Architecture for the first time), the trip to the Hoysala world will always be memorable.

When i started planning, i never thought of most of the places i visited. Only just before the start of my first day, i browsed a little and got the names. I wanted to explore something different and away from normal tourist location. Going to places where few people visit and writing about them is the most satisfying experience and i feel i did enough justice to them. Here i should thank my cab driver who patiently bore my whims and fancies and took me where ever i asked for. He came inside and visited most of the temples with me as he was also seeing them for the first time. It is never surprising that people tend to ignore or forget their own place.

Transport: My first advise to tourists is to take an own/hired vehicle always instead of using public transport. Most of the places are remote and it is not a good ideal to depend on them. Of course, this is applicable only if you want to visit all the places i mentioned. However, good public transport is available for the main attractions Belur, Halebidu and Sravanabelagola. And i hope to have given sufficient information to locate the  place.

Stay: Always stay in Hassan town if you are planning to have more than a day and travel to other places. There are accommodations in Belur and Halebidu as well but they are an option if more than a day is planned for any of these places. For a normal tourist, a day is sufficient for both of them. We can even complete all the three mentioned spots in a day if we take our own vehicle.

Study and Research: I feel this is important before see these temples. At least, if one has knowledge of Hindu iconography, can enjoy the sculptures. I say this as most of the sculptures are event and story based. The way the sculptures are designed exemplify the story itself.

Other places: I could not visit some of the places because of time. There are wonderful temples in places like Javagallu, Hosaholalu, Nuggehalli among others.

Don’t Do: Avoid visiting the small fortified palace that i mentioned. It is a complete waste of time. I travelled almost 100 additional kilometres just for this which could have been used for covering other places. Even though i am happy that i could see some explored area, this can be skipped. From Manjarabad Fort, come back to Hassan and the Iswara Temple in Arsikere can be reached from here.

Food: Food in Hassan is good with a mixture of South and North Indian flavour. There are good quality restaurants near the bus station.

The events under which i had this trip are also funny. As i mentioned in my first post, there was a government backed strike during the time and i had a real hard time travelling from Hassan to Sravanabelagola. My cab driver woke up at 5 AM waiting to get my call, if he had to take me to my destination. Luckily, i managed to get a fully crowded government bus. Even during the return journey, i had to wait for hours to get a bus to Bangalore. This strike was a welcome break to the Government Employees with all their chatting sitting leisurely.

As i plan my next series of posts, i am very happy that i had provided good information on the Hassan District, which i feel has not been documented well.

I was already tired with all the climbing of the Vindhyagiri hill. Once i came down, i had a quick snack while it rained heavily and moved to the hill opposite the one i ascended earlier. Earlier, i could wear my sock and climb, but here i was asked to take them off. So had to climb barefoot. Man! It was slippery with all the rain and legs were aching on the hard surface. There are around 250 steps to the top of the hill and this was a little relief.

Chandragiri, also known as Katavapra (Black Hill), Tirthagiri or Rishigiri is locally called as Chikkabetta (Small Hill). This is one of the oldest Jaina pilgrimage centres in South India as it has the tomb of Bhadrabahu muni and many other Jaina devotees. It stands at a height of 3052 feet above sea level and here, inside a huge compound, are many monuments. This hill became holy due to the arrival of the fifth and the last Shrutakevali Bhadrabahu, Eighth in the lineage of Lord Mahaveera, the 24th Tirthankara. It is popularly known as Chandragiri after the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta. There are 14 Jinalayas of great antique, among is one which built as early as 4th Century BC. i.e. 2500 years old. On the rock bed of Chandragiri, near the first inscription one can see the specimen signature of Chavundaraya the commander in chief during the Ganga rule.  We can have a beautiful view of all the monuments all at once from the Vindhyagiri hill. Also the statue of Bahubali looks great from the Chandragiri Hill.

The entrance to the compound is a decorative arch made of brick and lime with exquisite carvings on the top. The centre of the gateway is designed like a gopura with a Yakshini in the middle. We will talk about the most important monuments.

The first one we notice is the Kuge Bramha Sthambha, a highly decorative pillar. It is a fine specimen of Ganga workmanship and one of the most elegant and free standing pillars. Erected in honour of the Ganga King Marasimha, who died observing the rite of Aradhana at Bankapur (Dharwad District of Karnataka) in 974 AD. This is considered both a commemorative column as well as a Manasthambha. The column is 30 feet in height and has Sarvahana Yaksha on top. The 113 like inscription engraved on the pedestal begins on the southern face and ends on the eastern side. It gives a glowing account of the King, his heroic life and his pious end. The upper part of this long pillar looks like a small mantapa and is extremely beautiful with a Jina image.

Next is the basadi housing Shanthinatha and Suprashwanatha. The image to the north of the Shanthinatha basadi, which is standing with an iron railing, is that of Bharatha, brother of Bahubali. The Digambara traditions in this place accepted and popularised Bharatha image from the 10th Century. From an inscription near the Bharatha image mentions that Arishtanemi carved this image. This image is not hewn out of rock bed and is mutilated below the thighs and is currently 2 metres in height. Stylistically this one is very close to the Bahubali image and can be dated to the Ganga Period (10th Century). Another image of Bharatha is found on the Akhanda Bagilu on the Vindhyagiri hill.

I noticed something interesting over here. There are a couple of temples which date to around 10th Century and their architecture resembles the Pallava style to some extent. It is quite evident that they are Jain basadis with the Tirthankara images on the outer walls, but the structure above the lintel totally resembles many monuments in Mahabalipuram, especially the Shore Temple. It is a known fact that influence of culture is not new in Indian History and there are good instances where the Hoysala temples are inspired by Chola art.

Architecturally very interesting and historically immensely important,. the Chavundaraya basadi was built by Jinadevana, the son of Chavundaraya. This granite structure is again a good example of Ganga architecture and as mentioned earlier has Dravidian influence also. Though the outer walls are plain, the parapet and the tower are ornate. A row of swans below the eaves, the horse-shoe shaped arches on the cornice, a row of sea horse or lion-faced fishes at the lower most row of the parapet, a row of large reliefs of Tirthankaras, Yakshas, Yakshis, Gandharvas, elephants and other reliefs, and the gable shaped crowning architectural members are of absorbing interest.

We find here some of the finest creation of Indian artists. The architectural pattern is repeated on the tower, which perfect, proportionate and compact. The sanctum houses and image of Neminatha carved by a famous Hoysala artist Gangachari, son of Hoysalachari. In the vestibule are the images of Sarvahana Yaksha and Kushmandini Yakshini of Hoysala period (12th Century). A narrow staircase in the Southeast, leads to the upper storey where you find a standing image of a Tirthankara dated to 10th Century. An inscription on the pedestal of this statue attributes this temple to Chavundaraya’s son.

Terina basti is named after the chariot stone structure facing it and was built by Macikabbe and Shanthikabbe, mothers of two royal merchants, Poysalasetti and Nemisetti. It was consecrated in 1117 AD. Inside is a Bahubali image of 4 feet in height. Images of Sarvahana Yaksha and Kushmandini Yakshi are of Hoysala workmanship and dated to the 12th century AD. Surprisingly this structure is devoid of any Dravidian influence. This confirms that more than one artist worked on each of the structures and we anyway know that they have been constructed across centuries.

Sasana basadi is called so, because of the inscription located at its entrance. The image of Adinatha, seated in a yogic posture on a lion throne in the sanctum has an inscription which states that this abode of Lakshmi was built by Gangaraja. Also it is known that the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana granted a village for its maintenance. The Kushmandini and Sarvahna statues are a Hoysala work. As Gangaraja was supposed to have built this and the Kattale basadi on this hill, it may be assumed that the former was built on behalf of his mother Pocikabbe and the latter on his wife Lakshmimathi in 1118 AD.

The Chandragupta basadi was erected in the 9th Century. Interesting aspects of this three celled structure are 1) it’s fine towers, 2) a unique image of standing Sarvahna Yaksha in the vestibule and 3) two perforated screens with reliefs believed to be connected with Bhadrabahu. The sanctums have the images of 4 armed Yakshni Padmavathi, Parsvanatha and Kushmandini Yakshini. The stone screen narrating the story of the migration of Bhadrabahu was executed by a Hoysala artist called Dasoja.

And finally we talk about the Parsvanatha basadi.

This temple called the Kamata Parsvanatha Basti in records was probably erected in the late 11th century. An inscription found in the vestibule seems to associate Dhanakirthideva, disciple of Damanandi Traividyadeva to this temple. The image of Parsvanatha is about 14’6’’ and stands on a lotus pedestal. The reliefs at the base are not only of great artistic excellence but also of immense mythological interest. They reveal Parsvanatha’s encounter with his enemy Kamata. The main image as well as the serpent body and the canopy are hewn out of a single stone of schist.

The commemorative column in the hall was erected in the honour of saint Mallisena in 1129AD. Executed by an artist called Gangachari, it bears testimony to the artistic excellence as well as to the high literary attainment of poet Mallinatha. The Manasthambha which faces the temple is about 65 feet in height and is also the tallest of the free standing pillars at Sravanabelagola. It was added in the late 17th century.

As i complete my entire series on Hassan District a lot of memories make me happy and satisfied. Also there are some things that tourists must know before. I will talk about them in my final post of this series.

We have seen all the monuments in and out of the complex on top of the Vindhyagiri Hill. In the middle of the complex stands the mighty statue of Gomateswara. According to Jainism, Bahubali, called Gomateshwara, was the second of the hundred sons of the first Tirthankara, Rishabha. The Adipurana, a 10th century Kannada text by Jain poet Adikavi Pampa (941 AD.), deals with the ten lives of the first Tirthankara, Rishabha and his two sons, Bharata and Bahubali.

The colossal image of Bahubali marks the culmination of the artistic excellence achieved by the Ganga sculptors. The magnificent sculpture installed by Chavundaraya in around 982 AD. said to have been carved by Arishtanemi is the tallest monolithic image in India. Hewn out of uniformly fine-grained grey granite, it is finished in the round from head to knees. The depiction of ant-hills with snakes (Kukkuta Sarpa) peeping out and the ascending Madhavi creeper hide the fact of bold relief on the lower limbs. This north facing sculpture measures about 18 metres (58^’8^’’) in height. Believe it or not, this statue is visible from a distance of 30 kms.

Exhibiting all Mahapurusha lakshanas Bahubali stands erect in Kayothsarga posture on a full-blown lotus pedestal flanked by ornate but dwarf chauri bearers of Hoysala period on either side. The head decorated with Dakshinavrutha curls, the sublime face, the half closed and long contemplative eyes with gaze turned towards the tip of the sharp nose and the well shaped lips bearing a serene smile, can be visualized from any angle. The rounded face, the slightly projected and dimpled chin, the imperceptibly high cheek, the long lobed ears, all enhance the grace of the sculpture. The broad shoulders, the long arms. dangling on the sides, the fold-lines on the front of the neck, faithful delineation of the joints etc. attest to the skill and mastery of the artist in executing the anatomical details in the stone medium.

The stark nudity of the sculpture indicates the absolute renunciation of a Kevalin (one who attains supreme knowledge) and the stiff erect stance (Prathimayoga) itself suggest the firm determination and self control. The Dvarapala images on either side of the Bahubali colossal carved in schist, are among the finest of the well preserved guardian deities carved by the Hoysala artists of the 12th Century.

There are 3 other monolithic statues of Bahubali in Karnataka erected centuries ago at Karkala in Udupi District (42 feet erected in 1432 AD), Venur in Dakshina Kannada (35 feet erected in 1604 AD) and Gommatagiri in Mysore District (20 feet erected in the 12th Century).

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, devotees and tourists from all over the world flock to the statue once in 12 years for an event known as Mahamastakabhisheka. The recent anointing last took place in February 2006, and the next ceremony will occur in 2018. As the ceremony begins, consecrated water is sprinkled onto the participants by devotees carrying 1,008 specially prepared vessels. The statue is then bathed and anointed with libations such as milk, sugarcane juice, and saffron paste, and sprinkled with powders of sandalwood, turmeric, and vermilion. Offerings are made of petals, gold and silver coins, and precious stones. Most recently, the ceremony's finale has included an enormous shower of flowers from a waiting helicopter.

I was on top of this hill for about 2 hours and then moved on to the Chandragiri hillock which is opposite to this one.

Once we climb all the 640 steps and reach the top, the first thing that is seen is an inner complex on the right with a wall. We have the first view of the Gomateshwara Statue from here. Figures like fishes and elephants are carved on the wall, which we do not the significance. We need to enter the inner complex walking from the rear end. There are some monuments to the back of the compound. The Wodeyar mantapa on the western corner, has a column which has a donative record. One portion of this record tells how mortgaged property of the temple got redeemed by the initiative of the Mysore King Chamaraja Wodeyar in 1634 AD. The other portion mentions the grants made for the upkeep of this centre by King Dodda Krishnaraja Wodeyar in the 18th Century. Nearby, there is a three step pillar stone on the floor. We do not know the significance of this as well but it should be something relevant to Jains. Nearby is the Gullekayi Ajji Mantapa.

An image of immense legendary interest is housed in this pavilion. Its open ground floor contains five round pillars, an inscription and an image of the Old Lady (Gullekayi Ajji). The pillars, though simple are very strong and support the upper section. The upper floor enshrines a Yaksha image. The large central pillar was cut out of a boulder in the 12th century. An inscription at its base names it as, “Manasthambha”. The pillar and the Yaksha image were caused to have been made by minister Baladeva of early 12th Century. The inscription column was placed against the central pillar in 1422 AD by Irugappa Dandanayaka. It mentions the gifts made by this general to Gommata.  The image of Gullekayi Ajji wears a blouse and a pleated saree. According to a local legend, Yakshi Padmavathi transformed herself into an old woman to humble the pride of Chavundaraya.

The outer compound wall i talked about was erected during the time of Mysore Wodeyars (17th-18th Century). The Siddhanta basti is at its southeast corner was built in the 14th century. It is notable for the two commemorative columns in the hall than for the image enshrined in the sanctum. These columns were erected in 1398 and 1432 in honour of Saint Panditharadhya and Srtamuni respectively. The text of the second memorial was composed by Mangaraja, a famous Kannada poet.

Before speaking about the main attraction at this place, we need to talk about one amazing feat called the Suttalaya. Spanning all the three sides of the colossal statue of Bahubali and built in two successive stages, house many Tirthankara images. Gangaraja, a general of Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana erected the enclosure. Basavi Setti during the 12th Century erected all the 24 Tirthankara statues inside while the others were installed by Kethi Setti, Balleya Dandanayaka, Anki Setti, Bidiyama Setti, Mahadeva Setti, Nemi Setti etc. These Suttalaya images (3.5 to 5.25 feet high) are of great interest to the pious Jains as well as students of Jaina art and iconography. From the records and the cognizance’s engraved on the pedestal, from the attributes held by attendant deities, and from certain other conspicuous characteristics, the Tirthankara images are identified.

I will be dedicating my next post to discuss about the Gomateswara Statue in detail.

As mentioned previously, i climbed 500 steps to reach the main entrance of the hillock. Known also as Indragiri or Vindhyagiri, this hillock locally called as Doddabetta (Big Hill) which stands at a height of 3,347 feet above sea level is fortified with a wall across its circumference. There are various shrines that one can visit before reaching the main place. The smaller hill which is opposite to this one and the big pond at the bottom of this hill look beautiful from here.

There is a small shrine to the left of the main entrance, which is called the Chavvisa (24) Tirthankara basadi raised by Charukeerthi Pandithadeva and others. It contains a stone slab with small images of all the 24 Tirthankaras. Within a short distance, there is an elevated basadi which can reached by a flight of steps. Built of granite blocks, it is impressive for the commanding position it occupies. This is called the Odegal basadi. It is so called because of the stone props against its basement. It is the only trikutachala (triple-shrine) temple at Sravanabelagola. It houses the images of Adinatha, Neminatha and Chandranatha, all carved in schist with a congregation hall common to all the three shrines. This temple is datable to the 14th century which is similar to other Jain temples constructed during the Vijayanagara period like Ganagitti Jain Temple and Parsvanatha Temple in Hampi. I did not understand why a bell is hung in a Jain basadi. Normally, all sounds except chanting are prohibited in a Jain religious place.

From the Odegal basadi, we move on to the next monument, the Tyagada Kamba. We can find many inscriptions scribbled on the raw granite floor on the way. The ASI has covered those with glass so that they cannot be damaged by tourists. All these inscriptions are recorded as part of the Epigraphia Carnatica Series in its second Volume.

One of my acquaintances recently posed two questions 1. Why would important inscriptions be made on random, uneven rocks? My guess is that normally any inscriptions commissioned by ruler will have well-setup slabs. Because these constructions were not officially funded by the ruler and commissioned by officials and generals, they were scribbled on the floor by the masons so that they can still name the person who commissioned them. 2. The protecting glass on top of them is a mere eye-wash, as rain-water etc. can still flow from underneath.. My perception is rain water, if it falls directly on the rock can cut the stone damaging the inscription. But here, the damage can be far less than normal as the water passes underneath the glass. Now back to business.

Tyagada Kamba is a small, open pavilion with an upper storey and his historically important. It was installed by Chavundaraya who himself commissioned the Gommata statue here. In the centre of the pavilion is a 11 feet long elaborately carved pillar which is unmatched in its artistic beauty. It was probably erected in the late 10th Century. It is believed that Chavundaraya distributed gifts to the needy and deserving from here, hence the name Tygada Kamba. Another view is he renounced his worldly possessions including his life from here. The simple scroll designs, elegant workmanship, and bold lines bring out the best of the Ganga architecture. The original inscription at the base of the pillar was erased in about 1200 AD by Heggade Kanna and installed the Yaksha image on top of this pillar after which, got a record engraved at its pedestal. Some 500 years later, an upper mantapa was built in brick and mortar.

From the Tygada Kamba starts the second series of 140 steps which lead to the inner complex. After climbing some steps from the Tyagada Kamba, we stand before the Akhanda Bagilu or the monolith gateway. It has a Gajalakshmi panel above the lintel, where Goddess Lakshmi is seated on a lotus flanked by two elephants who anoint the goddess with pots held with their trunks. The relief sculptures of crocodiles and lions form the upper part of the panel. This is one of the finest and largest reliefs of Gajalakshmi in the country - undoubtedly the best of the Ganga craftsmanship. While the doorway is assignable to 980 AD. the two cells at its side were added around 1130 AD. by Bharathamayya, a general of the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana. The two relief sculptures in the cells represent Bharatha and Bahubali. Both the smaller shrines are locked.

There are two more doorways between the steps. The pillars of one of them is carved with Tirthankaras and musicians. There are dwarapalas on either side which is an example of Hindu architectural influence. The second doorway is the one you see in the picture. It has 4 pillars and figures of elephants are sketched on either side. The lintel of the doorway is carved with Tirthankara and Yaksha figures. Just outside this doorway you will find a image of a crocodile on the left which is a signature sculpture of Vijayanagara architecture. After crossing this doorway, we reach the upper complex.

This is the last leg of my 3-day Trip to the Hassan District. I had to get up very early and so that i could reach Sravanabelagola as soon as possible, which i managed to reach by 7 AM. The town has just woken up and you will find the vendors starting to clean their premises to start their day’s business. I put my bag at a travel agent’s place and started off to the entrance to the hill.

Activity at the hill was full on. There were people already climbing. Its advisable to start the climbing as early as possible as heat will be a concern once the sun rises. There are two sections of steps to finally reach the destination. The first section is a steep climb of 500 steps after which we reach the main entrance to the complex on the top. Be very careful while climbing as the steps are steep and one mistake may cause a person to tumble down. The steps may be slippery in rainy season, so be very cautious. We can have a nice view of the surroundings during the climb. There are two doorways during the ascent which may have been setup during the 10th Century. Surprisingly i took just 10 minutes to reach the entrance of the second complex, where i rested for about 10 minutes before starting off again. We will talk a little bit about the hill and its history before moving on.

Sravanabelagola has two hills, Chandragiri and Vindhyagiri. Acharya Bhadrabahu and his pupil, King Chandragupta Maurya are believed to have meditated here and Chandragupta attained salvation at this place. Chandragupta Basadi, which was dedicated to Chandragupta Maurya, was originally built there by Asoka in the third century BC. Chandragiri is also said to be the place where the last Rashtrakuta King of Manyakheta is said to have meditated. The 57-feet tall monolithic statue of Gommateshvara is located on Vindyagiri Hill. It is considered to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue.

More than 800 inscriptions have been found at Sravaṇabeḷgoḷa, dating to various times from 600 to 1830. These inscriptions include texts in the Kannada, Sanskrit, Tamil, Marathi, Konkani, Marwari and Mahajani languages. Some of these inscriptions mention the rise and growth in power of the Western Ganga Dynasty, the Rashtrakutas, the Hoysala Empire, the Vijayanagar Empire and the Wodeyar dynasty.

Now lets talk about the various monuments on the Vindhyagiri Hill.