The Lakshminarasimha temple at Javagal, sometimes referred to as Lakshmi Narasimha temple of Javagallu, is a mid-13th century Hindu temple with

Hoysala architecture Hoysala architecture is the building style in Hindu temple architecture developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries, in the region known today as Karnataka, a state of India. Hoysala influence was at its ...

. It is located in Javagal about 20 km northeast from

Halebidu Halebidu (IAST: Haḷēbīḍ, literally "old capital, city, encampment" or "ruined city") is a town located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Historically known as Dorasamudra (also Dwarasamudra), Halebidu became the regal capital of the ...

and 50 km from Hassan city,

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. This triple shrine temple is dedicated to

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

– the man-lion avatar of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

. It was completed between 1250–1260 A.D. by King

Vira Someshwara Vira Someshwara ( kn, ವೀರ ಸೋಮೇಶ್ವರ) (1234–1263) was a king of the Hoysala Empire. The preoccupation of Vira Narasimha II in the affairs of Tamil country resulted in neglect of northern territories and he had to face Seun ...

of the

Hoysala Empire The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...

.Foekema (1996), p73 The temple is a compact illustration of a square plan typical of Hindu temple architecture, but one where the three sanctums share a common ''mandapa'' (hall). These sanctums are dedicated to Lakshminarasimha, Sridhara and Venugopala. It is notable for its lavish artwork consisting of over 100 panels, all intricately carved both outside and inside. Many of these panels depict legends from the ''

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

''.Foekema (1996), pp. 73–75 This 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 ...

Date

The foundation stone and inscription of the Lakshminarasimha temple of Javagal is missing. This temple cannot therefore be directly dated. However, one can infer its date from the signatures carved into some of the panels. Some of them are signatures of the famed 13th-century sculptor Mallitamma known for his exquisite artwork elsewhere. Such evidence suggests that this temple was complete by about 1260 CE.

Architecture

Profile of Lakshminarasimha temple at Javagal

The temple plan is square, similar to other Hoysala temples. It is a ''trikuta'' (three shrined) temple,Foekema (1996), p25 one where only the middle shrine has a superstructure (tower or ''

shikhara ''Shikhara'' (IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chamber ...

'') and a ''sukhanasi'' (nose or tower over the vestibule)Foekema (1996), p22Foekema (1996), pp73-74 The three equal size shrines are all square in plan and are connected by a common closed hall (''

mantapa A mandapa or mantapa () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture. Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls. In temples, ...

''). The closed hall is preceded by an open porch. The lateral shrines are connected directly to the hall while the middle shrine has a vestibule that connects the sanctum (cellaFoekema (1996), p21) to the hall.Foekema (1996), p74Kamath (2001), p134 The lateral shrines have no tower over them and are directly connected to the hall without a vestibule and its corresponding tower like projection. This makes the temple appear as if it has just one shrine from the outside with bulging walls. In reality, inside are three shrines. The central shrine is highly visible from the outside because of its tower, and the ''sukhanasi'' that projects prominently from the tower. The lower part of the shrines (below the roof) have five projections per side, these projections being visible on three sides in the case of the central shrine but only on one side in the case of the lateral shrines. The temple stands on a platform ('' jagati''), a feature common to many Hoysala temples. The platform, in addition to its visual appeal, is meant to provide devotees a path for

circumambulation Circumambulation (from Latin ''circum'' around and ''ambulātus ''to walk) is the act of moving around a sacred object or idol. Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practice (known in S ...

(''

pradakshina Parikrama or Pradakshina is clockwise circumambulation of sacred entities, and the path along which this is performed, as practiced in the Indic religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, it refers only to the path alon ...

patha'') around the temple. It closely follows the outline of the temple, giving it a good elevated look.Foekema (1996), p25Kamath (2001), p135 The tower over the central shrine and the vestibule are intact and highly decorative. Other standard features in a Hoysala temple are the large domed roof over the tower, which is also the largest sculptural piece in a Hoysala temple (called the "helmet" or ''

amalaka An amalaka ( sa, आमलक), is a segmented or notched stone disk, usually with ridges on the rim, that sits on the top of a Hindu temple's shikhara or main tower. According to one interpretation, the amalaka represents a lotus, and thus the ...

'') and whose shape usually follows that of the shrine (square or star shape); the ''kalasa'' on top of it (the decorative water-pot at the apex of the dome); and the Hoysala crest (emblem of the Hoysala warrior stabbing a lion) over the ''sukhanasi''. Here the emblem and the ''kalasa'' are missing. The ''kalasa'' has been replaced during later times with a metallic pinnacle.Foekema (1996), p27

Decoration and sculptures

The decorative plan of the outer walls of the shrines and the ''mantapa'' (hall) is Hoysala style, with two eaves that run around the temple. According to art historian Gerard Foekema, the wall panel images (one hundred and forty in all), and the reliefs and friezes that abound in this temple have a relaxed quality of workmanship about them, and appear more "folkish in character".Foekema (1996), p28, pp73-74 Here, the first heavy eaves runs below the superstructure and all around the temple with a projection of about half a meter. The second eaves runs around the temple about a meter below the first. In between the two eaves are the miniature decorative towers (

Aedicula In ancient Roman religion, an ''aedicula'' (plural ''aediculae'') is a small shrine, and in classical architecture refers to a niche covered by a pediment or entablature supported by a pair of columns and typically framing a statue,"aedicula, n." ...

) on

pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...

s. Below the second eaves are the wall panel of images of Hindu

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

and their attendants in

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

.Foekema (1996), pp28-29 Below this, at the base are the six equal width rectangular moldings (

frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...

). Starting from the top, the friezes depict; ''hansa'' (birds) in the first frieze, ''

makara ''Makara'' ( sa, मकर, translit=Makara) is a legendary sea-creature in Hindu mythology. In Hindu astrology, Makara is equivalent to the Zodiac sign Capricorn. Makara appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada, a ...

'' (aquatic monsters) in the second, epics and other stories in the third (usually from the Hindu epic

, the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

, and stories of

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

), leafy scrolls in the fourth, horses in the fifth and elephants in the sixth (bottom frieze).Foekema (1996), p29, p74

Gallery

File:Sri LakshmiNarasimha Temple Javagal - North Side View.jpg, Lakshminarasimha temple at Javagal - north view File:Sri LakshmiNarasimha Temple - Javagal Front Side.jpg, Front File:Sri LakshmiNarasimha Temple Javagal Side Profile.jpg, File:Entrance to Lakshminarasimha temple at Javagal.JPG, Entrance to ''mantapa'' (gathering hall) has ''

dvarapala A Dvarapala or Dvarapalaka (Sanskrit, "door guard"; IAST: ' ) is a door or gate guardian often portrayed as a warrior or fearsome giant, usually armed with a weapon - the most common being the ''gada'' (mace). The dvarapala statue is a wide ...

s'' (door keepers) in Lakshminarasimha temple at Javagal File:Friezes in Lakshminarasimha temple at Javagal.JPG, Six molding friezes File:Sri LakshmiNarasimha Temple Javagal 01.jpg, Entrance (''mahadwara'') File:Sri LakshmiNarasimha Temple - Javagal.jpg, The ''vimana''

Notes

References

* Gerard Foekema, A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples, Abhinav, 1996 * {{Cite book , last=Kamath , first=Suryanath U. , title=A concise history of Karnataka: from pre-historic times to the present , orig-year=1980 , year=2001 , publisher=Jupiter books , location=Bangalore , oclc=7796041 , lccn=80905179 Hindu temples in Hassan district Devi temples in Karnataka