Lakshmi Devi Temple, Doddagaddavalli

The Lakshmi Devi temple is an early 12th-century Hindu temple complex in Doddagaddavalli village in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. The main temple has four-shrines that share a common mandapa (hall), each sanctum being a square and aligned to a cardinal direction. The eastern shrine houses the Hindu goddess Mahalakshmi, the northern shrine is dedicated to Kali, the western to Shiva—who is worshipped as Lakshmi’s brother—and the southern shrine, once dedicated to Vishnu, now stands empty due to widespread vandalism and destruction. The complex has a separate Bhairava shrine northeast of the main temple, and four small shrines at the corners inside a nearly square ''prakara'' (compound). All nine temples are in the pyramidal north Indian style Nagara ''shikhara'', likely an influence from Maharashtra. The complex has additional smaller shrines.

Location and date

Doddagaddavalli is called ''Gadumballi'' in historic inscriptions. It is located about northwest from Hassan city, about south of Halebidu, and about southeast from Belur (NH 373). The temple is to the south side of the modern village, on the banks of a historic water reservoir. The Lakshmi Devi temple, was built in 1113 CE by a wealthy merchant Kalhana Ravuta and his wife Sahaja Devi during the reign of the famous Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana.

Architecture

The temple complex is within a seven feet high ''praakara'' (compound), almost a 115 feet square. It had a dwara-mantapa to its west and a dwarashobha to its east, but these along with the original compound decoration is now missing except for the door frames and the mantapa-like structure. It is likely that the original town was near the manmade reservoir. Inside the historic praakara were four small shrines at each corner, a design called ''parivaralayas'' in Sanskrit texts. In addition, to the northeast of the main temple, there is a fifth independent shrine dedicated to Bhairava. At the center is the ''chatushkuta'' (four-shrine) main temple with a shared mantapa. Thus, the complex consists of nine shrines.

The Lakshmi Devi Temple is one of the earliest known temples built in the Hoysala style. The building material is Chloritic schist, more commonly known as soapstone.Quote:"An idiom common to Western Chalukyas as well", Kamath (2001), p.136. Quote:"The Western Chalukya carvings were done on green schist (Soapstone). This technique was adopted by the Hoysalas", ''Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent'', Takeo Kamiya

The temple does not stand on a '' jagati'' (platform). Three of the '' vimanas'' (shrines) have a common square ''mantapa'' (hall). The fourth ''vimana'', one at the north and dedicated to Kali, is connected to the ''mantapa'' via an oblong extension. The extension has two lateral entrances into the temple, one from east, the other west. The ''vimanas'' have their original ''phamsana''-style tower (superstructure) intact. These illustrate the Kadamba ''Nagara'' architecture.Quote:"The most prominent feature of the Kadamba architecture is their Shikhara called Kadamba Shikhara. The Shikhara is pyramid shaped and rises in steps without any decoration with a apex called ''stupika'' or ''kalasa'' at the top, Kamath (2001), p.38 . Quote:"This type of tower is common throughout Karnataka and is also called a ''Pamasana'', Foekema (1996), p.58 Of the nine shrines in this complex, eight vimanas are simple ''phamsana'' and symmetric within each set. The ninth vimana that opens to the east is different – it is a tritala (three storey) superstructure and is dedicated to goddess Lakshmi, thus making her the primary deity and giving this temple its dedicatory name.

Each of the three ''vimanas'' that share a mandapa has an ardha-mantapa (vestibule) connecting it to the central larger square ''ranga-mantapa''. On top of the vestibule of each shrine is a ''sukanasi'' (or "nose" because it looks like low extension of the main tower over the shrine). The ''sukanasi'' is a tier lower than the main ''phamsana'' tower over the shrine. All the four ''sukanasi'' are intact and so are the ''kalasha'' (decorative water pot like structure) on top of the main towers.Quote:"The ''kalasa'' is a water pot like structure that forms the highest point of the tower", Foekema (1996), p.27 The Hoysala emblem (the sculpture of a legendary warrior "Sala" fighting a lion) is mounted atop one of the ''Sukanasi''.

The ''mantapa'' is open and square. It and the extension to the Kali shrine has a ''jali'' (perforated stone screens) to let light into the temples. The ceiling of the main hall is supported by eighteen lathe-turned pillars. Near Kali's shrine, there is stone statue of an emaciated skeleton-like goblin (''vetala''), a reminder of her horrifying fierceness and power to inflict death.Quote:"The open ''mantapa'' of Hoysala temples are generally in a staggered square pan, called a cross in square", Foekema (1996), p.22

According to art critic Gerard Foekema, overall the temple has shows the pre-Hoysala elements of architecture. There is only one eaves running round the temple where the main towers meet the wall of the shrine.Quote:"An eaves is a projecting roof overhanging the wall", Foekema (1996), p.93 At the base of the wall of the shrines are five moldings; between the moldings and the eaves, the usual panels of Hoysala sculptures depicting Hindu gods, goddesses and their attendants is however missing. Instead, the entire space is taken up by decorative miniature towers on pilasters (called aedicule).Foekema (1996), pp. 57–59

The main shrine facing east has a image of the goddess Lakshmi with an attendant on either side. The image holds Vishnu's icons – a conch in the upper right hand, a ''chakra'' (discuss) in the upper left, a rosary in the lower right and a mace in the lower left. In the shrines facing north, south and west respectively are the images of Kali (a form of Durga), the god Vishnu, and ''Boothanatha'' Linga (the universal symbol of the god Shiva). A sculpture of ''Tandaveswara'' (dancing Shiva) exists in the circular panel at the center of the ceiling of the ''mantapa''. Other notable artwork are those of ''Gajalakshmi'' (form of Lakshmi with elephants on either side), Tandaveshwara and Yoganarasimha (avatars of Vishnu) found on the doorway of the temple.

Gallery

Image:Entrance to Lakshmidevi Temple in Doddagaddavalli.jpg, One of two entrances
File:Close up view of Lakshmidevi temple at Doddagaddavalli.jpg, Kadamba ''shikhara'' (tower) with ''kalasha'' (pinnacle)
File:View of Chatuskuta shrine towers over bounding wall in the Lakshmi Devi temple at Doddagaddavalli.JPG, ''Prakara'' wall'' (west side)
File:Decorative water spout in Lakshmi Devi temple complex at Doddagaddavalli.JPG, Makara-pranala, a spout to drain sanctum ritual water
File:A view of shrine with Kadamba nagara sikhara (tower) in Lakshmi Devi temple complex at Doddagaddavalli.jpg, Kadamba ''nagara'' ''shikhara'' (tower)
File:Ornate lintel over entrance into sanctum in Lakshmi Devi temple complex at Doddagaddavalli.JPG, Ornate lintel over entrance into sanctum in Lakshmi Devi temple at Doddagaddavalli
File:Shivagana sculpture inthe mantapa of the Lakshmi Devi temple at Doddagaddavalli.JPG, Emaciated goblin near Kali's shrine
File:An ornate elephant statue at Lakshmi Devi Temple,Doddagaddavalli.jpg, An Ornate Elephant balustrade at the main temple entrance
File:Ornated ceiling inside Lakshmi Devi Temple, Doddagaddavalli.jpg, Ornated bay ceiling inside the temple
File:Decorated Ceiling of Lakshmi Devi Temple, Doddagaddavalli.jpg, Ornate ceiling
File:Old Kannada inscription (12th-13th century) at Lakshmi Devi temple complex at Doddagaddavalli.JPG, Old Kannada inscription

References

Bibliography

* Gerard Foekema, A Complete Guide To Hoysala Temples, 1996, Abhinav,
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External links

More information

{{Hindu temples in Karnataka

Buildings and structures completed in 1114
Religious buildings and structures completed in the 1110s
12th-century Hindu temples
Devi temples in Karnataka
Hindu temples in Hassan district
Lakshmi temples