Skip to main content

Karnataka trip 3 - Belur




Our Belur onward journey started early morning around 7 AM from Srirangapatna, We get into a rural landscape as we drove for half an hour. The early morning sun and dew fills the road with quiet a few vehicles. We stopped by a road side shop to have breakfast. Ate Thatte idlies, vada, sambhar and chutney for Rs.80. Simple but delicious food particularly one that satisfies your hunger prangs. Drove further towards Belur as per google maps. In the last leg we had to redirect from the highway towards a small path that leads to Lakkunda. This is where we have booked our home stay. Lonely path with coffee estates on both sides leads to this area. The home stay is on the first floor with the owner and family on the ground floor. Sunil became a hit with us in the first meet itself. He along with his mom, aunt and kids took care of us for the next few days.







We were given filter coffees and left to settle down in our room. It was a simple queen size bed and a clean rest room attached. Internet wi-fi was available but only in the reception area. While Sunil's aunt prepared lunch for us we discussed on the places to visit. We had veg lunch - rice, gravy, appalam, curd and pickle. Asked them to add rasam to our lunch menu. After sometime we left to Belur temple. It is some 18 kms from our place of stay. We reached there in 1.5 hours. On the way is the Yegachi Dam where boating is available. Just before getting to the temple we saw a huge temple pond and a new temple under construction on its banks. The Belur - Chennakeshava temple is a very ancient one. Built by the Hoysalas it is a marvel in stones. The work on stones are remarkable and unbelievable.







We spent detailed time in each temple to go through the intricate temple structures. It has taken the Hoysala Architects more than 100 years to come up with this temple, however there are still some work left incomplete. Chennakesava is the main deity.  Vishnuvardhan, a Hoysala king is said to have built this temple. The carved pillars at the temple are the USP of Hoysala architecture. The temple are hosted on stage like stone structures here. There is a dedicated temple for Andal. The temple walls have sculptures from top to bottom. There is bands of designs sculpted. The bottom most layer also have sculptures like horses and elephants. Horses have designed wardrobes on them and even the elephants. War scenes are depicted so intricately. Palanquins are done as though very real. One can even see sculptures of royals sitting on the balcony. Scenes from the Mahabharatha seem to occupy the temple walls. Hordes and hordes of elephants occupy the lower band on the walls.






By 5 PM we drove back to our home stay and called it a day. Lakkunda shots -





Labels:
Location: Belur, Karnataka, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Anjaneyar Temple - Gerugambakkam, Porur

 Very recently we came to know about the Anjaneyar temple built by actor Arjun is at Gerugambakkam. On a Sunday evening we drove towards this place. We need to detour from the Kundrathur main road to reach this temple and from then on we need to face a rough and patchy road. In just 5 minutes one can reach the temple. A small residential street leads to the temple. Very near it one could see few small stalls mushroomed up to sell pooja items. The vehicles have to be parked in the street near the temple gates. First is the corridor were few trees are seen.  On taking left is the entrance to the temple and you can see the Lord Anjaneyar much ahead. Here too are few trees uniformly spaced out. There is a coconut farm adjacent to this temple. There is a shelter above Lord Anjaneyar, but for that it is a open air temple. Facing Lord Anjaneyar and to the left and right corner are two shrines - one for Lord Ganesh and the other for Lord Anjaneyar's - Lord Rama, Lord Lakshmana and God...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mannargudi - Day 2

On the next day at Mannargudi, we had an early start. After having tea through room service we left to the  Rajagopalaswamy temple. The temple gopuram can be seen at a large distance as the from the space was allocated for parking. Early morning we could see only 2 cars before us. After paying the parking fee we went inside the temple. Due to the maintenance work we were devoid of enjoying the beauty of the temple gopurams. We got to see the temple's famous elephant - Sengamalam as soon as we got in. This temple is called as south Dwaraka, there is small Krishna statue inside which we can worship by taking in our hands.  The main deity Lord Vasudevaperumal is seen here along with his cow. Next to his the baby Krishna idol which can we worshipped by devotees for their special prayers. We had a good darshan of the Perumal. Had theertham, jadaari and then walked towards the Goddess. The consort of Lord Rajagopalaswamy is Goddess Sengamala Thaayar. We had a very peaceful...
Post a Comment
Read more

Naganathaswamy Temple - Keezhaperumpallam

This temple called as  Kethu Sthalam is near Poombhukar and Thikadaiyur. Naganathasamy is the name of the Sivan here. His  better half is Soundaranayagi. For Kethu there is a separate sannadhi in the temple. Thus becomes one of the temples dedicated to the 9 planet Gods. The way to the temple from the main road is quiet narrow but anyone in the road to whom you enquire the path will end up ask you to just keep going straight. One will first come of the parking space. There is ample space here for the incoming devotees vehicles. Very near parking is the temple tank called the Naga theertham. Next to this is the temple tree, opposite to which is the temple entrance.  Anugraha Vinayakar sinnadhi is first on the left hand side in the praharam. To the end end of the praharam, i.e. to the right side of the entrance is the Kethu sannadhi. There is no navagraha sannadhi since Kethu takes prominance in this temple. Do visit the temple and take Kethu's blessing for your well being....
Post a Comment
Read more