The Lakshmikanta Temple is a Hindu (Vaishnava) temple in

Kalale Kalale is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India.Village code 2870900. Kalale, Mysore, Karnataka It is located in the Nanjangud taluk of Mysore district. Demographics As of 2001 India census, Kalale had a population of 7278, with ...

, a village in the

Nanjangud Nanjangud, officially known as Nanjanagudu, is a town in the Mysuru district of Indian state of Karnataka. Nanjangud lies on the banks of the river Kapila (also called Kabini), 23 km from the city of Mysore. Nanjangud is famous for the S ...

taluk A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

of the

Mysore district Mysore district, officially Mysuru district is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mysore division.Chamarajanagar district, Chamarajanagar District wa ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

state,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The temple dates back at least to the early 18th century and is built in typical '' dravidian'' style. The temple is a protected monument under the Karnataka state division of the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...

History

The Lakshmikanta temple was under the patronage of some of the kings of the

Mysore Kingdom The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Brit ...

. It was expanded and lavish grants were made by king

Dodda Krishnaraja I Krishnaraja Wodeyar I (18 March 1702 – 5 March 1732) was the sixteenth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore. His reign lasted for 18 years, from 1714 to 1732. Personal life Dodda Krishnaraja was born on 18 March 1702. He was the first-born so ...

of the Mysore

Wodeyar dynasty The Wadiyar dynasty (formerly spelt Wodeyer or Odeyer, also referred to as the Wadiyars of Mysore), is a late-medieval/ early-modern South Indian Hindu royal family of former kings of Mysore from the Urs clan originally based in Mysore city. ...

before c.1732.Sampath, Vikram, (2008), ''Splendours of Royal Mysore'', Chapter: ''The Dalavoy Regime AD 1704-1734'', Section:''Decline of the Wodeayrs'', Rupa Publications, In the early 18th century, ''Dalavoy'' (feudal lord) Devarajiah of the powerful Kalale family donated the impressive metallic figure of the Hindu god

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

to the temple during his last years.Conjeeveram Hayavadana Rao (Rao Sahib), Benjamin Lewis Rice (1930), p328, ''Historical'', Government Press, Mysore According to Habib, Hasan and Sampath, in 1791, the de facto ruler of Mysore,

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...

, gave the temple gifts in silver including four cups, a plate and a spittoon (''padiga''). Habib and Hasan claim the inscriptions on the gifts itself provides evidence that the gifts were made by "Tipu Sultan Bahshah".Sampath, Vikram, (2008), ''Splendours of Royal Mysore'', Chapter: ''The Sword of Tipu Sultan AD 1791-1799'', Section:''The Controversial Sultan'', Rupa Publications,Habib, Irfan (2002), p118, ''Confronting Colonialism: Resistance and Modernization Under Haidar Ali & Tipu Sultan'', Anthem Press, London, Hasan, Mohibbul (1951), p360, ''History of Tipu Sultan'', Aakar Books, Delhi,

Gallery

File:Lakshmikantha temple at Kalale.JPG, ''

Gopura A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South I ...

'' (tower over entrance) of the Lakshmikanta temple at Kalale File:Dravidian style shrine and superstructure in Lakshmikantha temple at Kalale.JPG, '' Dravidian'' style shrine and superstructure in Lakshmikanta temple at Kalale File:View of Lakshmikantha temple and related structures at Kalale.JPG, View of Lakshmikanta temple and related structures at Kalale

References

{{Hindu temples in Karnataka 18th-century Hindu temples Devi temples in Karnataka Hindu temples in Mysore district