The Rameshvara Temple (also spelt Rameshwara or Ramesvara) is located in the town of Narasamangala of
Chamarajanagar district
Chamarajanagar or Chamarajanagara is the southernmost district in the state of Karnataka, India. It was carved out of the original larger Mysore District in 1998. Chamarajanagar town is the headquarters of this district.
It is the third leas ...
,
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. The temple was constructed during the 9th century rule of the
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 ...
of
Talakad.
Temple plan
The temple plan is simple, yet it has a unique superstructure (tower or ''
shikara
The shikara is a type of wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water bodies of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir Shikaras are of various sizes and are used for multiple purposes, including transportation. A usual shikara seats six people, with t ...
'') that is made of brick and
stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
. The ''vimana'' (shrine with tower) is eleven meters tall and stands on a platform of
moldings (called ''adhishthana'') that is two meters high.
It has a sanctum (''
garbhagriha
A ''garbhagriha'' or ''sannidhanam'' is the ''sanctum sanctorum'', the innermost sanctuary of a Hindu and Jain temples where resides the ''murti'' (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple. In Jainism, the main deity is known as the ''M ...
''), a narrow closed hall (''ardhamantapa'' or just inner ''
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, ...
''), a large closed hall (''mahamantapa'').
The architecture is fundamentally
dravidian in style. Some of the remarkable sculptures in the temple include that of
Nataraj
Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the ' ...
(a form of the Hindu god
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
),
saptamatrikas
Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṝkās, lit. "divine mothers") also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group ...
(the seven Hindu goddesses) and the Ganga king seated in state with his queen by his side.
The temple received patronage from the later day
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 ...
kings as well. This is attested to by the two Kannada language inscriptions tablets (1291-1343 A.D) on the site that describes grants made by King
Veera Ballala III
Veera Ballala III (r. 1292–1342) was the last great king of the Hoysala Empire. During his rule, the northern and southern branches of the Hoysala empire (which included much of modern Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu) were consolidated and ...
to the local
deity
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 ...
Ramanathadeva of Narasamangala.
Gallery
File:Entrance to closed mantapa (hall) in Rameshvara temple at Narasamangala.JPG, Lintel and doorjamb decoration at entrance to ''mahamantapa''
File:Old Kannada inscription (1291-1343 AD) in Rameshvara temple at Narasamangala.JPG, Old Kannada inscription (1291-1343 A.D.) of Hoysala King Veera Ballala III
Veera Ballala III (r. 1292–1342) was the last great king of the Hoysala Empire. During his rule, the northern and southern branches of the Hoysala empire (which included much of modern Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu) were consolidated and ...
File:Old Kannada inscription (1291-1343 AD) in Rameshvara temple at Narasamangala 1.JPG, Old Kannada inscription (1291-1343 A.D.) of Hoysala King Veera Ballala III
Veera Ballala III (r. 1292–1342) was the last great king of the Hoysala Empire. During his rule, the northern and southern branches of the Hoysala empire (which included much of modern Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu) were consolidated and ...
Notes
References
* {{cite web , url=http://asibengalurucircle.org/chamrajnagar-3.html, title=Ramesvara temple, work=Archaeological Survey of India, Bengaluru Circle, publisher=Archaeological Survey of India, access-date=7 July 2012
9th-century Hindu temples
Shiva temples in Karnataka
Hindu temples in Chamarajanagar district