PAYANIGA

An article written by me is published in today’s (07th April 2009) Deccan Herald – Spectrum (the weekly supplement on Karnataka) titled ‘Kaidala: A forgotten marvel‘ – a place I visited sometime last year.

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Ask anyone in Tumkur for directions to Mandharagiri, it’s most unlikely that you will get proper details. But wait, now ask for directions to Basadi Betta (or Basti betta), almost everyone knows how to go there. Basadi Betta is a small hillock off Bangalore – Tumkur road. The name Basadi betta is due to the jain temple (basadi) on top of the hillock.

While travelling towards Tumkur from Bangalore, some 10 KMs before Tumkur you can see this small hill with word ‘Mandharagiri’ written (in Kannada) on face of the hill. It’s not adjucent to the highway but have to travel (turn right while comin from Bangalore) couple of kilometers to reach the foot of the hill. A hundred or two steps of climbing takes you to the basadi door. While the southern gives the urban landscape, on the other side lies lake Maidala (once source of drinking water to Tumkur city) with the backdrop countless number of hills. Out of them, Devarayana Durga & Ramadrvara Gudda are the prominent ones (or the names which I know :D).

With respect to architecture, the basadi doesn’t attract many people. But the place brims with devotees during festival season & a calm place for many away from the buzzing life. An year ago, a monolith of Chandraprabha Theerthankara was installed at the foot the hill. The statue which stands at a height of 21 feet is claimed to be the tallest statue of Chandraprabha Theerthankara. In case if you are driving by Tumkur and need a break, then you know where to go.

Interesting places near Tumkur:

• Devarayana Durga
• Kaidala
• Shivagange

It’s been a busy days for the past few weeks. That means less time to write. For the time being here are some random photos from my trips in year 2008. Above one was taken near Somanathapura.

Rail tracks near Mandya, en route Melkote.

Yoga Narasimhaswamy temple at Melkote.

A kid I met at Kaidala, the birth place of Jakanachari, the main architect of Hoysala temples.

When one hears the name ‘Belur‘, next set of names or words that follow are – Channakeshava temple, Shilabalikas, Halebidu, Hoysalas, King Vishnuvardhana, Jakanachari. Off the list, the last one is less known – Jakanachari, the main architect-sculptor behind Belur & Halebidu. And Kaidala, home town of Jakanachari, boasts of having one of the beautiful statue of God Channakeshava (Lord Vishnu) sculpted by him. Kaidala previously known as ‘Kreedikapura’ got the name as Jakanachari got back his right hand after sculpting & establishing statue of Lord Channakeshava.

Channakeshava temple in Kaidala
You will be disappointed if you are reach there expecting the temple premises to be something similar to Belur or Halebidu. This temple of Lord Channakeshava in Kaidala looks like any other temple from outside. And what seperates this temple from any other temples is the masterpiece by Jakanachari. It is said that the statue in Kaidala is one of the last statues sculpted by Jakanachari. Sculpted in a black stone, the status is 6ft tall & the amount of details & intricacy is amazing.

Garuda, the mythological vehicle of Lord Vishnu
The legend says that –

Jakanachari leaves behind his family, wife, unborn child to gain name & fame. Sculpting beautiful statues, constructing temples over a long period of time, all over he reaches Hoysala kingdom where he agrees sculpt deity Lord Channakeshava. Meanwhile his son, Dankanachari leaves home in search of his father. On the day before the Channakeshava idol to be established in Belur, Dankanachari reaches the place & claims that there is a flaw in the statue which was sculpted by Jakanachari. At this time, Jakanachari bets his right hand in case of any flaw in the idol where as his son Dankanachari bets his life. All this happens unaware of their relationship.

Jakanachari cuts his hand after his son finds the flaw – a live frog, water & sand – in the idol. Hence the statue become famous as ‘Kappe Channigaraya’ (Kappe = Frog in Kannada). Later Jakanacahri gets a vision to construct a temple at his home town. Both father-son duo move to Kaidala where it is said that Jakanachari got back his hand after he completed the statue.

Unfortunately the temple in Kaidala is stranded with no one to take care except for the priest & couple of old ladies who clean up the premises. And the legend mentioned above was as narrated by the priest.

PS: Photography is not allowed inside the temple