The Lakshminarayana Temple is a 13th-century Hindu temple with Hoysala architecture in Hosaholalu, Mandya district of Karnataka, India. Dedicated to Vishnu, this three-shrine monument is notable for its finely carved plinth (''adhisthana'') with panels of the ''Ramayana'', the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. It has one of the most beautifully embellished Hoysala tower projection (''sukanasa'') that integrates the Dravida motifs with asta-bhadra Bhumija motifs from central India. Also notable are polish and jewelry-like carvings inside the temple's ''mandapa''.

Location and date

The town of Hosaholalu is about southeast of

Hassan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scottis ...

and northwest of the heritage city of Mysore, the cultural capital of Karnataka state.Foekema (1996), pp. 71-72 The temple was built by King Vira Someshwara 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 ...

in 1250 C.E. It lacks a foundation inscription. The dating of the temple is based on the style of the sculptures and architecture that compares closely with the contemporary Hoysala monuments at

Javagal Javagal is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India.Village code= 2496100 Javagal, Tiptur, Karnataka It is located in the Arsikere taluk of Hassan district in Karnataka. The Lakshminarasimha temple, built in 1250 A.D., is an imp ...

, Nuggehalli and

Somanathapura Somanathapura, also spelled Somanathpur, Somnathpur, or Somanathpura, is a town and Grama Panchayat in Tirumakudalu Narasipura, Mysore district in the state of Karnataka in India.

Architecture

Floor plan of Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu Karnataka

The Vishnu temple illustrates a later stage Hoysala architecture with a square plan and four-storey Vesara vimana, one that strongly resembles the Harnahalli temples. It was built using Soapstone (chloritic schist).Kamath (2001), p136 The temple is a ''trikuta'' vimana (three shrined) temple where only the central shrine has a tower (superstructure or '' Shikhara'') on top.Quote:"Depending on the number of towers, the temples are classified as ekakuta (one shrine and tower), dvikuta (two), trikuta (three), chatushkuta (four) and panchakuta (five). Most Hoysala temples are ekakuta, dvikuta or trikuta", Foekema (1996), p25 The two lateral shrines merge into the ''ranga-mandapa'' towards the east. The main shrine is for Narayana, the southern shrine is dedicated to Venugopala, and the northern one to Lakshmi Narasimha. The temple is built on a '' jagati'' (platform) with decorative elephants at corners. This elevates the temple by . It extends well beyond the temple on all sides, thus providing an integrated ''pradakshinapatha'' (circumambulation passage).Quote:"The Jagati serves the purpose of a ''pradakshinapatha'' (circumambulation) as the shrine has no such arrangement", Kamath (2001), p135 The lateral shrines are square in construction with five projections and no special features. The central shrine is well decorated and its tower has a ''sukanasi'' (called "nose") which is actually a lower tower over the

vestibule Vestibule or Vestibulum can have the following meanings, each primarily based upon a common origin, from early 17th century French, derived from Latin ''vestibulum, -i n.'' "entrance court". Anatomy In general, vestibule is a small space or cavity ...

that connects the shrine (cella containing the image of the deity) to the hall (''mantapa''). The ''sukanasi'' looks like an extension of the main tower over the central shrine.Foekema (1996), p22 According to art critic Gerard Foekema, the temple as a whole exhibits the "new style" and belongs to the 2nd phase of Hoysala building activity (13th century), with two sets of eaves, and six moldings at the base of the outer wall.Quote:"A eave is a projecting roof overhanging a wall", Foekema (1996), p93 The first eave is located where the superstructure meets the temple outer wall and the second eave runs around the temple and about a metre below the first eave. In between the two eaves are decorative miniature towers on pilasters (called

Aedicule 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." ...

), with sculptured wall images of Hindu deities and their attendants below the second eave. This temple depicts a hundred and twenty panels of artwork, which are largely related to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. Twenty four sculptures of Vishnu show his four arms holding his four icons – a

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, a

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, a

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and a

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– in all possible permutations.Foekema (1966), p72 The temple also includes panels from Shaivism and Shaktism, such as one of Mahisasuramardini stamping on the buffalo-demon. Below the panel of deities is the base of the wall consisting of six decorative rectangular moldings of equal width which run all around the temple.Quote:"Generally, Hoysala temples built in the 13th century have 6 mouldings ("new style") while those built a century earlier have 5 mouldings ("old style")" Foekema (1996), p28 The six horizontal mouldings of the ''adhistana'' include intricately sculptured friezes.Quote:"A rectangular band of stone decorated with sculpture", Foekema (1996), p93 Seen from top to bottom; the first frieze depicts birds (''hansa''), the second depicts the mythical '' makara'', the third frieze has depictions of ''Ramayana'', ''Mahabharata'' and ''Bhagavata Purana'' legends narrated in the clockwise direction (direction of devotee circumambulation). The fourth frieze has leafy scrolls, the fifth and sixth friezes have a procession of horses and elephants respectively.Foekema (1966), p29 In the frieze that depicts the epics, the Ramayana starts from the western corner of the southern shrine, while the Mahabharata starts from the northern side of the central shrine vividly illustrating the demise of many heroes of the famous war between Pandavas and Kauravas.Foekema (1966), p72 The interior of the temple consists of a closed hall (''mantapa'') of modest size with four polished lathe turned pillars supporting the roof.Quote:"This is a common feature of Western Chalukya-Hoysala temples", Kamath (2001), p117 The four central pillars divide the hall into nine equal "bays" (compartments) and nine decorated ceilings.Quote:"A bay is a square or rectangular compartment in the hall", Foekema (1966), p93 The sanctum of the three shrines contain the images of

Venugopala 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 ...

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...

in the middle and Lakshminarasimha; all forms ( Avatar) of Vishnu.

Gallery

File:Sri Lakshminarayana Temple , Hosaholalu - West side view.jpg, Lakshminarayana temple at Hosaholalu File:Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu - during PHMSTBGP-2020 (154).jpg, The jagati ("platform") File:Sri Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu - North View.jpg, North Side View - ornate relief work on ''vimana'' exterior File:Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu - during PHMSTBGP-2020 (161).jpg, The Shrine and superstructure over it File:Lakshminarayan Temple, Hosaholalu.jpg, Rear view File:Stellate shrine outer wall with relief in Lakshminarayana temple at Hosaholalu.jpg, Star pointed ''vimana'' File:Wall frieze and moulding relief in Lakshminarayana temple at Hosaholalu.jpg, Close up of bas-relief File:Ornate relief between eves and frieze of moldings at the base in Lakshminarayana Temple at Hosaholalu.jpg, Wall relief File:Lakshminarayana Temple at Hosaholalu, wall panel relief.JPG, Wall panel relief File:Hindu deities in panel relief in Lakshminarayana Temple at Hosaholalu.jpg, Wall relief File:Swirls and Flourishes in frieze Lakshminarayana Temple at Hosaholalu.jpg, Swirls and flourishes on molding frieze File:Richly Decorated Carving of Sri Krishna - Sri Lakshminarayana Temple,Hosaholalu.jpg, Krishna dancing on Naga File:Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu - during PHMSTBGP-2020 (230).jpg, Krishna with flute File:Richly Decorated Carving of Goddess Durga - Sri Lakshminarayana Temple,Hosaholalu.jpg, Goddess Durga, Mahisasuramardini File:Lakshminarayana Temple, Hosaholalu - during PHMSTBGP-2020 (22).jpg, Vedic deity Indra

Notes

References

* Gerard Foekema, A Complete Guide To Hoysala Temples, 1996, Abhinav, * Suryanath U. Kamat, A Concise history of Karnataka from pre-historic times to the present, Jupiter books, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002) OCLC: 7796041 * {{Hindu temples in Karnataka Hindu temples in Mandya district Religious buildings and structures completed in 1250 Devi temples in Karnataka 13th-century Hindu temples

Location and date

Architecture

Gallery

See also

Notes

References