- With Its Intricate Siddeshwara Temple
The Marle Hoysala temples stand like sentinels in the remote backyard of
Chikkamagaluru taluk in Karnataka. The age-old temples of Marle from the
10th century have stood the test of time despite its neglect. These
unknown temples are just 14 and 17 kilometers from the world famous
Belur and Halebid temples but nobody is aware of this.
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| Outer temple walls |
Although some pillars are beautiful, some portions of the walls are
damaged and some carvings are intact and some incomplete. The
authorities have tried to restore some parts of the temple but it has
not regained its past look or able to replicate the skills of sculptors
of that era. The upper portion of the temples has been painted which
gives the temple ruins a weird demeanor.
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| An attempt to restore |
The less ornate Siddeshwara temple is flanked by beautiful carvings of
Ganesh and Gopura on either side in the frontal portion. Apart from
smaller deities, it has a Shiva Linga in its sanctum sanctorum. Even the
entrance to the temple is marked at the lintel by a small stone tablet
with an elephant, Shiva and Parvati and other images but they are not
very clear as some are damaged. In fact, many carvings are totally
erased and gone. And the new sandblasted walls look a bit modern.
The trident shaped temple which is more similar to a Hoysala temple has
all along the usual long gopuras carved with two pillars and an
elongated floral pattern in between. However, as we go round this
structure, we can notice figurines of Ganesha, Subramanya and
Mahishamardini in their normal poses and the usual Hoysala etched
carvings.
On some small gopuras, one sees an elaborated etched figure of Narasimha
at the top surrounded by floral patterns down below. Just next to them,
a wider gopura can be seen with empty stone tablets – nobody knows
whether they had some carving or they were never done.
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| Boy with dagger |
Another riveting aspect of Siddeshwara Temple is the unusual carving of
a little boy who is armed with a dagger. This simply dressed boy seems
to be attacking a man while his left hand is wrestling to hold his
opponent. Now are they commoners and why were they etched here which
seems incongruous in the midst of exquisite carvings of gods and
goddesses. Nobody knows the reasons for this carving and some locals
said it may have been added in a later period for some reason.
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| Some exquisite carvings |
Even as we spent some two hours in this place, what struck us was the
re-assembling and renovation initiated by the Archaeological Survey of
India. The re-assembled shrine has a very fresh look especially the
Siddeshwara temple and in fact, lost its past glory. So, the present
work which has been done does not instill much confidence nor garner any
appreciation.
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| The Siddeswara temple entrance |
I feel it is better to leave the temple ruins as it is. It is better to
maintain this temple complex in its existing status just like the Roman
Colosseum or Pompei. Some stone platforms and steps that have been
recently added do not jell with this ancient temple at all. Some things
are best left alone as it is difficult to master the mastery of the
Hoysalas.
Surrounded by a stone boundary wall and two gates, the temple complex
was teeming with cows that were happily settled in and they looked us at
in wonder as we had disturbed their evening siesta in this serene
environment. However, the backdrop of the temple is even more beautiful
with a big lake that is surrounded by green hills. Since this place is
neither in the temple circuit nor has any connectivity to this smaller
group of unknown ancient structures, it needs a lot of tourism
development by the state government to make it a suitable destination
for people interested in Hoysala art and architecture.
How To Reach The Temples
It is situated about 12 kilometers from the Chikkamagaluru town on
Hiremagalur Road where one has to take a deviation to reach Marle. It is
situated in the village of Marle that is considered as a historical place.
Location map:
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