Belur Chennakeshava Temple

- A Peek Into the Domestic Tales

By Tharangini

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Thank you for joining me from Part I

Our temples have this unique identity of not only depicting gods and goddesses but also of telling us stories from daily life. They are the time capsules of their century and they do a very good job of helping us peek back into their times.  While centuries have gone by, looking at these carvings, it sometimes feels as if nothing much has changed.  

Couples, families and human interactions make up for a significant amount of miniature carvings. In this part of the Belur series, I've kept my focus on the domestic scene. Some I understood, while some I'll leave it to your understanding.  

No amount of time is sufficient to soak in all the history that is etched in every visible surface of this beautiful temple. But we had a couple of other places to cover, so with much reluctance, I forced myself to speed up my pace. But even in that time, the number of details that sprung out at me from every nook and corner was simply overwhelming. 

Come, see for yourself....

A couple in Belur temple

Belur Chennakeshava Temple

The Carvings Amidst The Carvings

By Tharangini

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What can I tell you about the Chennakeshava temple in Belur, that has already not been told? The undisputable source of inspiration to so many and the undeniable jaw-dropping excellence and beauty has been written about almost everywhere.  So forgive me if I cannot shine any new light on these wonders.  But I did try with great difficulty to look beyond the beautiful Mandanikas to get a closer look at the tinier treats that acted as fillers to the main carvings.  I was not disappointed. 

One of the Mandanikas-
The lady with a parrot
Image Credit - Ramani Shankar

Srirangapatna Fort History

The Ancient Riverine Citadel

By Meera

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If one has to take a peek at the ancient part of the Srirangapatna Fort in Karnataka, the entry from the Delhi Gate side is ideal. Now, how many people know the historicity of this citadel as Murali, our guide, advocate and local temple priest related its roots going back to the 14th century when Vijaynagar kings ruled these parts. The construction of the Srirangapatna Fort started as far back as 1454 and therefore when one moves from one section to another, it clearly takes one to an era where different kings have fortified their kingdom as per the needs of the time.

Srirangapatna Fort

A Citadel That Speaks Of History From Different Periods

By Meera

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In search of ancient temples in Srirangapatna that has retained its original heritage, we stumbled on a citadel that speaks volumes from different periods but not much is known about. We know only from the 18th century how Tipu Sultan had fortified and added more structures to it. But this is a fort from an ancient era and historians have neither dug into its past nor probed into this Vijaynagar heritage far from Ballari. In fact, many parts of the Srirangapatna fort that is hidden by green outgrowths and mosses - remains unexplored and neglected while only the last rulers from this walled structure have been dwelt upon and written about.