Kedareshwara temple, Balligavi, Shimoga District

Balligavi is today known as Belagami. Its ancient names are Dakshina Kedara, Valliggame and Valligrame. It is a town in Shimoga district of Karnataka state. Dakshina Kedara means Kedarnath of the South. A place of antiquity, it is known for its ancient monuments. It is also famous as the birth place of the great Virashaiva saint Allama Prabhu^[1] and is closely associated with Vachana poetess Akka Mahadevi who was born in nearby Udugani.^[2] She was a contemporary of Allama Prabhu and Basavanna, the founder of the Virashaiva movement. Balligavi is also the birth place of Shantala Devi, queen of Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana.^[3] Many famous Hoysala sculptors like Dasoja, Malloja, Nadoja, Siddoja hailed from here. Today, Balligavi (Balli in Kannada means creeper or vine) is a quite town much of whose daily routines revolve around agriculture and the famous 11th century Kedareshwara and Tripuranthakeshwara temples (also known as Panchalinga temple). Balligavi is located 72 kms from Shimoga city and 12 Kms from Shikaripura town in Shikaripura taluk. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 2311 KB) Photograph taken by self (Dineshkannambadi) in July 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 2311 KB) Photograph taken by self (Dineshkannambadi) in July 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Shimoga District is in southern part of Karnataka state in India. ... Shimoga District is in southern part of Karnataka state in India. ... Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Kedarnath is one of the four monasteries (called maths) holy to the Hindus. ... Lingayatism is a religious movement in India. ... Allama Prabhu(ca 1150) was a mystic Veerashaiva saint and poet of the 12th century. ... The vachanas are a body of work, and a form of writing, in Kannada. ... Akka Mahadevi (ಅಕ್ಕ ಮಹಾದೇವಿ) was a prominent figure of the Veerashaiva Bhakti movement in the 12th Century Karnataka. ... Basaveshvara Shree Basava (also known as Basaveshwara or Basavanna) is known as the reviver of the Veerashaiva (Lingayats) religion in India. ... Lingayatism is a religious movement in India. ... The Hoysala Empire ruled part of southern India from 1000 to 1346. ... Vishnuvardhana (Kannada: ವಿಷ್ಣುವರ್ಧನ) (1108-1152), was a king of the Hoysala Empire in what is today the Indian state of Karnataka. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ...

Legend

Legend has it that Balligavi was the capital of a Asura king (demon) and hence was called called Balipura (city of Bali). The Pandavas later arrived here while on their Vanavasa (forest dwell) and installed the Panchalinga (five lingas) and hence the name Panchalingeswara to the well known temple here. Linga is the universal symbol of Shiva. Archaeologically Balligavi dates from the Satavahana-Kadamba era and the Chaturmukha linga (four faced linga) here is in their style. The earliest inscription mentioning the name Balligavi is a 685 CE Badami Chalukya inscription. Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव; Hindi: शिव; Malayalam ശിവന്‍; Tamil: சிவன் (when used to distinguish lordly status), also known as Siva and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as ) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ... The Sātavāhanas, also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled in Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BCE. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that it lasted about 450 years. ... An ancient royal family of Karnataka, who ruled from their capital of Banavasi, later branched into Goa, Hanagal and Chandavar. ... Events Umayyad caliph Marwan I (684-685) succeeded by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (685-705) Justinian II succeeds Constantine IV as emperor of the Byzantine Empire Sussex attacks Kent, supporting Eadrics claim to the throne held by Hlothhere Pope Benedict II succeeded by Pope John V Cuthbert consecrated... Badami is a city in Karnataka in modern India. ... The Chalukya dynasty (Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರು) was a powerful Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th century C.E. They began to assert their independence at the decline of the Satavahana empire and rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of...

Golden age

The golden age of Balligavi was during the rule of the Western Chalukyas, during the 10th - 12th centuries.^[4] Balligavi during these times had six mathas (monasteries), three Puras (extensions), five Vidyapeethas (places of learning), seven Brahmapuris. The mathas belonged to devotees of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Jainism, Buddhism, Lord Brahma. The Kedareshwara matha belonging to the Kalamukha sect (devotees of Shiva), and Kodiya matha was well known and had the patronage of the Hoysala Kings marking the place as one of religious activity. Records also indicate that an ancient University existed here. ^[5] The town also had 54 temples and supported 60,000 residents during that time.^[6] Earlier to the Chalukyas, the area came under the Banavasi province of the Kadambas. Important Kadamba inscriptions like the Talagunda inscriptions, near Balligavi have been collected by the Archaeological Survey of India.^[7] The Western Chalukyas ruled the western Deccan in South India between the tenth and the thirteenth centuries CE. They were related to the Chalukya dynasty of Badami who were a powerful dynasty who reigned over most of the Deccan between the seventh and the eight centuries. ... A maţha (also written math, matha or mutt) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of the Hindu and Jain traditions. ... A maţha (also written math, matha or mutt) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of the Hindu and Jain traditions. ... Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव; Hindi: शिव; Malayalam ശിവന്‍; Tamil: சிவன் (when used to distinguish lordly status), also known as Siva and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as ) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari , with honorific Shri Vishnu; , ), (also frequently referred to as Narayana) is the most popularly worshipped form of God in Hinduism [1]. Within the Vaishnava tradition he is viewed as the Ultimate Reality or Supreme God (similarly to Shiva within Shaivism). ... Jaina redirects here. ... A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found in Sarnath, near Varanasi. ... Brahma (written Brahmā in IAST) (Devanagari ब्रह्मा, pronounced as ) is the Hindu God (deva) of creation, and one of the Hindu Trinity - Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. ... A maṭha (also written matha and mutt) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of the Hindu religion. ... A maṭha (also written matha and mutt) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of the Hindu religion. ... Banavasi ಬನವಾಸಿ is an ancient temple town on the border of Uttara Kannada District and Shimoga district in the south Indian state of Karnataka. ... Kadambas was an ancient royal dynasty of Karnataka, who ruled from their capital of Banavasi from (345-525AD) later branched into Goa, Hanagal and Chandavar. ...

Kedareshwara temple

Vimana with Kirtimukha (demon face), Kedareshwara temple, Balligavi

This is an excellent example of a trikuta (triple shrine) temple in transitional Western Chalukya - Hoysala architecture. It is the oldest example of such a combinational style in Karnataka according to reports from the Mysore archaeological department. The temple faces east and has a stepped entrance on three sides. The entrance on the sides is a Western Chalukya idiom.^[8] The central shrine has a linga (universal symbol of Shiva) made from black marble (Krishnashila). The shrine to the south has a linga called Brahma and the shrine to the north has a statue of Janardhana (Vishnu). The temples outside plan is in "staggered-square" style with many projections and recesses which is a Hoysala design.^[9] The outer walls of the open mantapa (hall) have carvings of women wearing fine jewellery. Two Hoysala emblems were added in 1060 CE by Hoysala Vinayaditya.^[10] The superstructure (tower) of the vimana (shrine) are very well decorated with sculptures of Tandaveshwara, Varaha, Uma Narasimha, Bhairava etc. (forms or avatar of Shiva and Vishnu). The western shrine is the oldest dating from the 7th or 8th century. Attached to the vestibule that connects the shrines is a well designed open mantapa with two rows of pillars. The outer row of pillars are 16 faced while the inner row of pillars are lathe turned with bell shaped mouldings, a style popular with both Western Chalukys and Hoysalas.^[11] The ceiling of the mantapa is flat and the inner ceiling is well carved with lotuses in them. The central ceiling has the carving of Tandaveshwara (dancing Shiva) with eigth dikpalakas (guards). The entrance to the shrine which faces east has a Nandi, the bull and a celestial attendent of Shiva. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1944x2592, 1995 KB) Photographed by self (Dineshkannambadi) in july 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1944x2592, 1995 KB) Photographed by self (Dineshkannambadi) in july 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Western Chalukyas (973 - 1200) also known as Kalyani Chalukya or Later Chalukya ruled the western Deccan in South India between the tenth and the thirteenth centuries CE. They were related to the Chalukya dynasty of Badami who were a powerful dynasty who reigned over most of the Deccan between... The Hoysala Empire ruled part of southern India from 1000 to 1346. ... Brahma (written Brahmā in IAST) (Devanagari ब्रह्मा, pronounced as ) is the Hindu God (deva) of creation, and one of the Hindu Trinity - Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari , with honorific Shri Vishnu; , ), (also frequently referred to as Narayana) is the most popularly worshipped form of God in Hinduism [1]. Within the Vaishnava tradition he is viewed as the Ultimate Reality or Supreme God (similarly to Shiva within Shaivism). ... Events May - The Norman leader Robert Guiscard conquers Taranto. ... The ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, copyright BBT In Hindu philosophy, an avatar, avatara or avatarim (Sanskrit: , IAST: ), most commonly refers to the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of a higher being (deva), or the Supreme Being (God) onto planet Earth. ... In Hinduism, Nandi is the white bull which Shiva rides, and the leader of the Ganas. ...

Notes

1. ^ According to the Karnataka state Gazetteer, Allama Prabhu: His Life, Legacy And Personality,[1]
2. ^ Karnataka Tourism -Religon, [2]
3. ^ An article by U.B. Githa, Research Associate at M.H.Krishna Institute of Indology, in Balligavi-An important seat of learning [3]
4. ^ According to an article in Spectrum January 25, 2005 [4]
5. ^ An article by U.B. Githa, Research Associate at M.H.Krishna Institute of Indology, in Balligavi-An important seat of learning [5]
6. ^ A glimpse of the lost grandeur, An article in Spectrum, January 25, 2005
7. ^ The Talagunda inscription gives the most plausible explanation to the birth of the Kadamba kingdom and the reasons sorrounding the coronation of Mayurasharma as the founder of the kingdom, Dr. S.U. Kamath, Concise history of Karnataka pp 30
8. ^ According to Dr. S.U. Kamath, A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 116
9. ^ According to Gerard Foekema, A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples, pp 21
10. ^ The Hoysala emblem depicts Sala, the mythical founder of the empire fighting a Tiger, according to historians C. Hayavadhana Rao, J. D. M. Derrett, B. R Joshi, Sala was a mytical founder of the empire, A Concise history of Karnataka pp 123, Dr. S.U. Kamath, History of Karnataka, Arthikaje
11. ^ This is a common feature of Western Chalukya-Hoysala temples, A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 117, Dr. S.U. Kamath

Mayurasharma (Mayuravarma) 345 - 365CE. was the founder of the Kadamba dynasty. ...

References

• Gerard Foekema, A Complete Guide To Hoysala Temples, 1996, Abhinav, ISBN 81-7017-345-0
  
• Dr. Suryanath U. Kamath, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)

External links

• A glimpse of the lost grandeur, Spectrum, January 25, 2005
  
• Balligavi, India9.com
  
• Chitralakshana, U.B. Githa, Balligavi- An important seat of learning
  
• Allama Prabhu: His Life, Legacy And Personality
  
• Vachanas of Akka Mahadevi, Article in Hindu, November 16 2004
  
• Karnataka Tourism