Destination Somanathpur

Posted on: February 23rd, 2009 in Around Bangalore, Travel, Weekend Trips | 91 views

The alarm on the phone was set to 5:30AM for Feb. 22, and as usual, I woke up earlier (5:00AM to be precise) to shut it off. The reason for waking up at this unusual (on a weekend) hour was that I was to be picked up near home by my friends (some of who also happen to be my colleagues) at 6:00. They arrived at 6:30AM (a half hour is permissible and expected in India — after all, IST is also known as Indian Stretchable Time!) and we headed towards Mysore Road that would take us to our ultimate destination, Somanathpur» .

After stopping at Kamath Upachar near Maddur» for steaming hot idlis» , uddina vadas» , and masala dosa» , washed down with “double-strong kaapi» “, we set out towards our destination, taking a left after Maddur and heading towards Malavalli» . At Malavalli, we took a right (though a wrong one) to hit the road that heads to Poorigali, where we had to take a right at the “three-way junction” (as one of the villagers in Poorigali, who was trying to show off his knowledge of the English language, put it) to go towards Somanathpur. The road conditions were horrible to say the least, and my sympathies are with Iqbal’s Hyundai Santro and Rony who was driving at the time. But then, as a saving grace, we got to capture some village life and nature on our cameras. After all, as the cliche says, “No pain, no gain!”.

Pictures taken while on the road from Bangalore to Somanathpur

[View with PicLens]

We finally reached Somanathpur mid-afternoon and I was pretty disappointed at the light conditions. But then, what the heck! I told myself and proceeded to enter the Chennakeshava Temple. There were the usual security guards, tourists and guides; the guards telling me I couldn’t use my tripod (for God knows why — it’s government rules they say), the tourists wide-eyed, with two retired professors discussing about photography in the old days and digital photography now (hmmm… interesting!), and the guides as usual, narrating the same story day in and day out as they’ve done for years on the job.

The Temple was truly an architect’s and sculptor’s delight, a feast for the eyes (though one had to slightly squint because of the blazing sun overhead), and a test of a photographer’s skills (with light conditions varying from the burnt on the outdoors to the extremely dark in the sanctum sanctorum). To cut a long story short, I did manage to get a few good shots (IMO» ).

Pictures of and inside the Chennakeshava Temple, Somanathpur

[View with PicLens]

Gopal had earlier told me that the River Cauvery» flows right behind Somanathpur and I wanted to check it out. After a couple of enquiries at the local handicrafts shop, we headed out on the kuchcha road» , driving 2KM to reach the banks of the River. A calm and peaceful spot, it was a veritable paradise with birds all around, some skimming the surface of the water to hunt for fish and complete their afternoon meal. Also, there were a few kadhai» shaped huge vessels lying around the banks. We then discovered (as soon as one of the villagers started taking water out of the vessel) that they were used to collect sand from the river. A couple of hours and a few photographs later, we headed back to the car to take us back home, to Bangalore.

Pictures taken of the banks of River Cauvery at Somanathpur

[View with PicLens]

About Somanathpur

Somanathpur is a tiny village on the banks of River Cauvery, 140 kms, south-west of Bangalore.It boasts of one of the last and the grandest of Hoysala» monuments – the Chennakeshava Temple built in 1268 CE. By the time the temple was built, the riches and splendour of the Hoysala court (having completed about 260 years in power) were already evident in their grand temples at Belur and Dvarasamudra (present day, Halebid). The reigning monarch was Narasimha III (1254-91 CE) and the temple was built by the celebrated army commander, Somanath. A few years earlier, Somanath had founded a village on the left bank of the River Cauvery, named Somanathpur. All these facts are mentioned on the slab, at the entrance of the temple, in old Kannada script.

The temple in Somanathpur is not as famous as the ones in Belur and Halebid , though they all are from the same period. Somanathpur is more representative of the age, since it did not suffer destruction as much as Belur and Halebid did and hence offers a more unbroken view of period’s architecture. Often it is referred to as the poor cousin of Belur and Halebid.

The Chennakeshava Temple, standing on a raised platform, adheres to the typical Hoysala style architecture where the temple is designed as a mini cosmos with scenes carved on the walls including Gods, Goddesses, dancing girls, musicians, gurus and all kinds of animals including elephants, lions, cows and monkeys. Its unique design and perfect symmetry are ignored amidst the farms and agricultural lands of surrounding villages.

The outer walls are decorated with a series of star-shaped folds. The three sanctum sanctorums once housed beautifully carved idols of Keshava» , Janardhana» and Venugopala» . Today, the idol of Lord Keshava is missing but the other two still adorn the sanctum sanctorums in their original form.

Nearest City: Mysore
Nearest Railhead: Mysore
Nearest Airport: Bangalore
Nearest Highway: Bangalore-Mysore highway

More From Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog

Somanthapur (also known as Somanathapur) is a town located 30 km from Mysore city in Mysore district, Karnataka, India. It is famous for the Chennakeshava Temple, built in 1268 CE.

Maddur is a town in Mandya district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It lies on the banks of the river Shimsha.

The idli (IPA:ɪdliː), also romanized “idly” or “iddly” and plural “idlis”, is a savory cake popular throughout South India. The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter. Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack, idlis are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar, or other accompaniments.

Vada also known as vadai, wada or vade (pronounced “vah-daa”, “vah-dey”, or “vah-die”), is a savoury snack from South India, shaped like a doughnut. Uddina Vada, made with Urad dal, is a common street food in Karnataka.

The Dosa is a South Indian delicacy made from rice and black lentils. Dosa is a typical South Indian food, eaten for breakfast or dinner, and is rich in carbohydrates and protein. Dosas are generally served with a side dish which varies according to regional and personal preferences, the most common being sambhar and wet chutney. A masala dosa is made by stuffing a dosa with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, fried onions and spices.

Coffee.

Malavalli is a town in Mandya district in the Indian state of Karnataka.

In My Opinion

The Kaveri River, also spelled Cauvery in English, is one of the major rivers of India, which is considered sacred by Hindus. The origin of the river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu district in the Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka. It flows south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the southeastern lowlands, emptying into the Bay of Bengal through two principal mouths.

The Cauvery River basin is estimated to be 27,700 square miles (72,000 km2) with many tributaries including the Shimsha, the Hemavati River, the Arkavathy River, Honnuhole River, Lakshmana Tirtha River, Kabini River, Bhavani River, the Lokapavani River, the Noyyal River and the Amaravati River.

Rough, unlaid road.

A kadhai (also spelled karai or karahi – both pronounced the same “ka-rai”) is a type of thick, circular, and deep vessel (similar in shape to a wok) used in Indian and Pakistani cooking. It is useful for shallow or deep frying.

The Hoysala (pronunciation: hojsəɭə) Empire was a prominent South Indian Kannadiga empire that ruled most of the modern day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur but was later moved to Halebid.

The Hoysala era was an important period in the development of art, architecture, and religion in South India. The empire is remembered today primarily for its temple architecture. Over a hundred surviving temples are scattered across Karnataka, including the well known Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebid, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathpur. The Hoysala rulers also patronised the fine arts, encouraging literature to flourish in Kannada and Sanskrit.

Hoysala Kings:

Nripa Kama II (1026–1047 CE)

Hoysala Vinayaditya (1047–1098 CE)

Ereyanga (1098–1102 CE)

Veera Ballala I (1102–1108 CE)

Vishnuvardhana (1108–1152 CE)

Narasimha I (1152–1173 CE)

Veera Ballala II (1173–1220 CE)

Vira Narasimha II (1220–1235 CE)

Vira Someshwara (1235–1254 CE)

Narasimha III (1254–1291 CE)

Veera Ballala III (1292–1343 CE)

Keshava is a name of Krishna from within Hindu tradition. Keshava appears as the 23rd and 648th names in the Vishnu sahasranama. Lord Keshava is venerated by those persons wanting to avert bad luck, or ill omens. His consort is Keerti.

A name of Vishnu. One who is worshiped by people for wealth.

Another name of Krishna.