Prasanna Channa Keshava temple is a stellate 3 shrine Vishnu avatar temple of – Venugopala, Keshava and Janardhana, it’s 16 pointed star structure in a quadrangle of 64 shrines at a riverside hamlet of a village on the banks of the river Cauvery is called Somanathpura.
Situated 32 kms from Mysore city and 140 kms from Bangalore this village was existing under the rule of Cholas and was conquered by the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana in 1117 AD. Later on it was ruled to its end by the Mysore kings – the Wodeyars.
Somnathpura became one of the foremost towns when a General of the Vijaynagar kings, Somanatha – a Dandanayaka of the illustrious King Narasimha III established a temple town of Vedic knowledge and worship calling it – ‘Vidyanidhi Prasanna Somnathpura’ and constructed the famous Keshava temple here in 1268 AD.
Keshava Temple at Somnathpura has been one of the last and the grandest temple of Hoysala monuments. Built by the General of Vijayanagar king -Somanatha. The chief architect & sculptor was Ruvari Mallithama. His team consisted of other famous sculptors of the era like – Masani Thamma, Chameya, Raneya, Chaudeya, Nanjeya and prominent artists from the neighboring country of Tamil country – Pallavachari & Cholavachari. These people did the main sculpture and their names can been seen etched on embedded sculpture and figurines even to this day! General sculpture of birds, animals, flowers were done by their dedicated teams.
A tall Garuda Khamba or Lamp post welcomes you to the temple shrine through a small door way. To the left of the entrance door is a huge stone inscribed in Hale Kannada (old Kannada) about the history of the temple, the era and the kings and the dynasty which ruled at those times. The main temple is on a raised platform and surrounded by a high walled quadrangle. The temple walls have sculptures depicting the epics of Hindu mythology – the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and stories of Krishna. Other Hindu Gods and Goddess are depicted in various aesthetic forms. The temple walls carry feminine figurines in various dancing postures. Various animals like horses, depicting speed and elephants displaying strength are well sculpted. Flowers and various designs and aspiration designed sculptures are symbolically displayed. Merging with all these forms a beautiful labyrinth of a wall edifying and growing into a giant structure culminating to a temple tower. There are 3 towers.
Inside the temple of 3 shrines of Vishnu are 3 beautiful statues of Venugopala, Keshava & Janardhana -all full life size beautifully sculpted. The temple rests on yester era’s lathe sculpted pillars forming a quadrangle giving it a slightly raised platform for dance performance of the divine kind. The domnical ceilings are a sculpted delight – a lotus in it’s bud form at the shrines entrance door goes into a full bloom petaled flower at the deities door…the stages of growth are depicted in the ceilings 9 sculpted domes.
This place is a poetry carved in stone. The best and the last of the Hoysala dynasty. A visit is worth it. A day visit or a combination tour of Mysore sight seeing tour is apt.
A few shop exists selling short eats and soft drinks. Nearest town 7 kms for lunch is Bannur – famous for its mutton… or head to Mysore 32kms away for lunch or overnight stay… or Bangalore… it’s is 3 hour road journey.
Somanathpura is well connected by bus from… Mysore, Bangalore via Srirangapatna.
Jagdeesh Laxman Singh
aka Jugie Singh
Text & Photography
[email protected]
