Kanakagiri (also known as Suvarnagiri) is a town in

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 of

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 ...

. It was a provincial capital of the

Mauryan Empire The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

and later became the capital of the Nayaka dynasty who were the Palegars (feudatory) of the

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...

. It is also the site of the historical site Kanakachalapathi Temple (''Kanakachalapathi Mandir'') which was built by the Nayakas.

Geography

Kanakagiri is situated in Koppal district, 20 km northwest of the town of

Gangavati Gangavati is a city, municipality and taluk in the Koppal district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is one of the main commercial hubs in the Kalyana-Karnataka region. It is also the largest city, in terms of area and population, in the Kopp ...

in the Indian state of

Temple

Kanakachalapathi temple was built by the Nayakas of Kanakgiri. Its halls and pillars are a unique example of

south Indian architecture Dravidian architecture, or the South Indian temple style, is an architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from South India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century. It is seen in Hindu temples, and the most distinc ...

from the

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it spread over a large area and included the modern era Group of Monuments at Hampi site in Vijayanagara district, Bellary ...

period. The '' gopuras'' and walls are adorned with sculptures, including statues of Rajas and Ranis in black polished stone, plaster models, and wooden statues of mythological figures.

Kanakagiri Jain tirth Kanakagiri Jain tirth kshetra also known as Kanakadri and Hemantha Desha is situated at about 3 km from Maleyuru, Chamarajanagar district, 53 km from the Mysore city and 182 km from Bengaluru. History It is one of the important ...

is a complex of Jain temple built by

Western Ganga Dynasty Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (mo ...

in the 5th or 6th century. A royal bath constructed by

Raja Venkatappa Nayaka Raja Venkatappa Nayaka IV or Nalvadi lakshya (?–1858), was a prominent final ruler from the Nayak Dynasty of Shorapur (or Surapur) in present-day Yadgiri district of Karnataka state. He refused to accept the suzerainty of the British East In ...

in 1586 sits on the outskirts of Kanakgiri.

Fort

Hemagudda Hemagudda near Kammatadurga is a village in the Gangavathi taluk of Koppal district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Hemagudda is located northeast to District Headquarters Koppal. Hemagudda is from Gangavathi and from. Importance Hemagud ...

Fort, about 20 km from Kanakagiri is next to the ''

Kammatadurga Kammata Durga, also spelled as ''Kammatadurga'',(near Hemagudda) is a village in the Koppal taluk of Koppal district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Kammatadurga is located Northeast to District Headquarters Koppal. Importance Kammatadurga wa ...

Fort'' of ''Gandugali Kumara Rama''. The fort was constructed in the 14th century. The fort has a temple of

Durga Devi Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around c ...

celebrating Dasara.

Utsav

Kanakagiri Utsav is an annual fair associated with the Kanakachalapathi temple during

Phalguna Phalguna ( sa, फाल्गुन ) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Phalguna is twelfth month of the year, and corresponds with February/March in the Gregorian calendar.Henderson, Helene. (Ed.) (2005) ' ...

Gallery

References