The scribe who built forts

He can be termed as one of the first, if not, the first statistician of  the world. He was also a scribe and he was born in a clan of scribes. A multi-talented man, he is best remembered for his revenue reforms which formed the basis for land reforms carried out by the British and subsequently by independent India.

An astute solider, he was also a well-known for building forts and it was he who built the imposing Rohtas fort, now in Pakistan. He was also the first Hindu to lead a full-fledged Mughal Army.

One of the nine gems of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar, he was also a highly skilled soldier. A little known fact about him is that he was responsible for providing internal security to Akbar.

A devout Hindu apart from being a man of literary tastes, he repaired, renovated and built several temples across India. He came to the help of the Tirumala temple of Srinivasa when the Nizam of Hyderabad tried to capture it.

He is even credited with having repaired a temple in Karnataka and contributed significantly to the Srinivasa Temple in Tirumala apart from the Kashi Vishwanatha temple in Benaras.

This man is none other than Raja Todar Mal (Todarmal), one of the Navaratnas or nine gems in the court of Akbar. He is remembered even today for his revenue reforms that were first adopted by the Afghan ruler, Sher Shah Suri and subsequently by the Mughals. Later, they formed the basis for Sir Thomas Munroe during the period of British India to introduce the ryotwari system in India.

Todarmal was born in Laharpur, Uttar Pradesh, in a Bhatnagar family. While one account says that he was a Kayastha Brahmin, others say he was a Khatri from the Punjab and that his place of birth was in the Punjab.

Whatever the history of his birth, we know that he first served under the renowned Afghan ruler, Sher Shah Suri. When Sher Shah died and Humanyun, the Mughal, managed to regain the Delhi throne, he imprisoned Todar Mal but released him after being told of his academic and scholastic qualifications.

After several years, Todarmal  joined in the service of Akbar as a clerk and rose in 1560 to become the Finance Minister of Mughal India. He held several other positions and was also in charge of the Mughal Mint.

He built the magnificent Rohtas fort under direction from Sher Shah Suri. The fort today is a UNESCO World Heritage monument, testifying to the engineering skill of Todar Mal.

He also built a fortress palace at Laharpur in Uttar Pradesh.

He was also actively involved in the construction of the Mughal forts at Fathepur Sikri and Lahore in 1583 and also the Allahabad fort which was originally built by Emperor Ashoka.

He also built the magnificent Moti Mahal palace in Allahabad which still exists today.  

Todar Mal rebuilt or renovated several temples cross India and in Karnataka, he rebuilt the Anjaneya temple in Mulabagal, Kolar.

This temple was built by Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, after the Kurukshetra war. There is a small statue of Todar Mal in the temple

Another temple that is associated with Todar Mal is that of Srinivasa in Tirumala. This temple too has a statue of Todar Mal. He also renovated the Kashi Vishwanatha temple in Kashi.

Todar Mal is also credited with having built the temple to Chitragupta in Patna, Bihar.

Members of the Kayastha community worship Chitragupta among other Gods. Chitragupta is a scribe for the Gods and Kayastha means scribe in Sanskrit and it goes without saying that Todar Mal was a renown scribe.

The Kayastha caste reflects its traditional role as record-keepers and administrators of the State. Kayasthas from historical times have occupied the highest government offices, serving as ministers and advisors during mediaeval Indian period and the Mughal Empire, and they also held important administrative positions during the British period.

Todar Mal, historians agree, was true to his caste and he was a scribe of the highest order. Not only was an excellent book keeper, he was also a competent accountant. He also managed the Mughal mint in Bengal. He also introduced standard weights and measures. He understood statecraft well and Emperor Akbar had high regard for him.

He became the Finance Minister of the Mughal Kingdom in 1575 and the Chief Finance Minister in 1582. He came up with a book on land records which then was known as Todar Mal’s Rentroll.

Very few know that Todar Mal was a man of letters. He translated the Bhagavatha Purana from Sanskrit  into Persian. He believed a single language could unify the people and its country and he, therefore, batted for Persian as the administrative language and sole language of the Mughal Kingdom..

According to the Puranas, Kayasthas are descended from Chitragupta. The Puranas invest Chitragupta with the task of recording the deeds of humanity, upholding the rule of law and judging whether human beings go to heaven or hell upon death

Raja Todar Mal also

The Mathurs also claim Todar Mal as their own. They are a sub-caste of Kayastha.

The  Mathurs are the only sect who are referred to as direct descendants of a Vedic God in the religious texts and the only ancestor worshipping sect of Hinduism also called Chitranshi/Devputra. Kayasth’s are said, in the Vedas and Puranas, to have a dual-caste as of Kshatriya and Brahmin. Mathurs today are  concentrated across North Indian states of  Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Rajasthan. They too were scribes.

Even in the ancient times, they were the people whose profession was writing.

The Mathurs trace their genealogy to Brahma. This is how it goes. When Brahma had created all the fourVarnas, he thought that there must be someone to keep records and account of each Varna. He then started meditating and closed his eyes.

When his meditation was over, he found a radiant figure holding a pen and an inkpot standing before him. Brahma then called him Chitragupta and asked him to be the keeper of  records. He said as he had been created from Brahma, he shall be called Kaya and his progeny Kayastha.

This is how the word Kayastha originated. Since then,  reading and writing has been the hereditary occupation of the Kayasthas.

As far as Mathurs go, they are one of the many sub-castes of the Kayasthas.

The Mathurs trace their ancestry to Charu, one of the twelve sons of  Chitragupta and Irawati. Incidentally, there are a class of Brahmins who call themselves Mathurs and they trace their ancestry to Mathura.

There are also a class of Vaishya who call themselves Mathur Vaishya and trace their ancestry to Mathura. There are also some Bengalis who are known as Mathur Babus. According to the Puranas, Charu resided at Mathura-and so his descendants came to be known as Mathurs.

The Mathurs served under the Hindu Kings of Mathura till Qutb-ud-din conquered it. Subsequently, some of them learned Arabic and served under the courts of Turkish and Mughal Emperors while others fled Mathura in search of work.

In the ancient times, the Mathurs worked in the posts of Dewan under the Surya Vanshi Kings who ruled Ayodhya. The Suryavanshi kings included Ikshvaku, Raghu, Dashrata and Rama and it is said that Mathurs have worked under them and served them. The Mathurs are subdivided into als and gotras. People belonging to the same al claim to have descended from the same immediate ancestor and share a common totem.

Gotra is a larger group being composed of a number of al.

According to tradition, there were only eighty-four big villages in Brij Bhoomi, the empire of Mathura. It is probably on that account that there are eighty-four further sub-sects called Als of the Mathurs.

Coming back to Todar Mal, he died in 1589.

Another Todarmal was Pandit Todarmal (1719–1766). He was a Jain and an eminent scholar and writer. He stayed in Jaipur. His son, Gumani Ram, founded Gumanpanth, a strict form of Jainism.

We also have a Todar Mal in the Punjab. He was called Diwan Todar Mal Jain and he was a businessman. He belonged to Kakra village, a few miles from Patiala. In Sikh history, he is remembered for buying a small piece of land for the cremation of the dead bodies of Mata Gurji, , the mother and Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, the two younger sons of 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh in 1704 A.D, by paying an exorbitant price to the owner of the land.

He had to cover the whole piece of land with gold coins (ashrafis) in a vertical position, as he was asked to vertically place gold coins on the land and only that much land was given to him which he could cover with gold coins. He later also made arrangements for their cremation.

The Narasimha Suladi of Jagannatha dasa

If Vijaya Dasa has written a Suladi on Narasimha, so also has Jagannatha Dasa of Manvi.

The Narasimha Suladi has an interesting antecedent.  

Jagannatha Dasa was touring holy places and he came to a temple near Surpur. The province of Surpur in Gulbarga district was ruled by a local chieftian. (Today, Surpur is called Shorapur and among the temples is the Venugopala Swamy Temple) The Dasa halted at a temple singing the glory of Hari when he noticed a poor Brahmin in his entourage. The Brahmin looked sad and he appeared anxious.

Jagannatha Dasa called the Brahmin aside and asked him for the reason of his sadness. The Brahmin replied that he was an extremely poor man and that he did not have sufficient needs to even have a meal a day.

He sought the blessings of  the Dasa to come out of his poverty. Jagannatha Dasa meditated and found out that the Brahmin had come to this state as he had not given any dhana or given anything to people in his earlier birth.

He had, therefore, been cursed to be born poor and was forced to lead a wretched life for the past three lives. Jagannatha Dasa asked the Brahmin what he could donate.

The Brahmin said he had no money except a small copper vessel.
Jaggantha Dasa asked the Brahmin to sell the vessel, prepare panaka from the money he got and give it to him.

The Brahmin sold the vessel and with the money he got from it , he prepared panaka for Jagannatha Dasa and other members of the party. After Jagannatha Dasa completed his pooje, he took the panaka along with his disciples and blessed the Brahmin.
He then composed the Narasimha Suladi and gave upadesha to the Brahmin. He then asked the Brahmin to stay back at the temple they were camping. “Worship God here and he will do the rest. Do not forget to recite the Narasima Suladi”,  the Dasa told the Brahmin.

The Brahmin was overjoyed and he followed the instructions of Jagannatha Dasa. He recited the Narasimha Suladi with devotion and sincerity. Narasimha then gave the Brahmin riches and also helped him attain a high post in the durbar of  Surpur.

This is a powerful sloka and if recited with sincerity and devotion, it can help us get over all our difficulties.

The English translation is as follows:

“Dhurithavana kuTAri dhurjana kula vairi
sharaNAgatha vajrapamjara kumjara
vara samrakShaka janma maraNarahitha mahitha
parama karuNAsimDhu BakthabamDhu
svaratha svathamthra jagadhBaritha chithsuKapUrNa
hariye kSharAkShara puruShOththama
urugAya vaikumTa vara mamdhira chamdhira
tharaNi kOti samkAsha vimala kEsha
DhuradhoLagarjunana thuraga nadesidha sam
gara Bayamkara lOkaika vIra
narasimha ninna pAdhakkeragi bEdikombe
morehokka dhAsage bamdha Bayava pari
harisi souKyava karuNisu dhayadhimdha
sarvaramthaRyAmi lOkasvAmi
smaraNe mAthradhi ajAmiLage mukthiyaniththe
aridhEnO nInIga porevudhemma
saruva kAmadha jagannAThaviTTala Baktha
paripAlakanemba birudhu ninnadhallave? ||

viDhipitha nInalladhe niDhipathigaLumte?
saDhananAgi ippe ninna dhaasarigaagi
maDhusUdhana jagannaaThaviTTalarEya
niDhananenisikombe ninna dhvEShigaLige ||

mUru lOkasvAmi sarva~G~Ja suKapUrNa
prEraka sAkShi kAraNakArya dhOShavi
dhUra sadhguNasAmdhra sajjanAmbuDhi chamdhra
BArakartha jagake nInire emma manOraTha
salisuvudhEnasADhyavO ninage?
krUramAnavara samhAramAdisu guru
mAruthanimdhathi shIGravAgi
nIrakShisemdhu prArThisuve Baktharige BUri
sAra BAgyavaniththu kRupemAdu anudhina
shUra jagannAThaviTTala nInalladhi
nnAru Bakthara kAva karuNigaLu jagadhi? ||

pithanimdha nomdha praHlAdhananu kAydhe dhE
vathegaLige bamdha Baya pariharisidhe dhrou
padhiya more kELi dhivyaambarava karuNisidhe
kShithijanAlayadhi baLaluva bAleyara dhvArA
vathige karedhoydhu olidhavara pOShisidhe mA
ruthiya karadhim bRuhadhraThakuvarana kolisi
pRuThivipara bidisi pAlisidhe karuNadhali kuru
pRuThanadhoL pAmdavara gelisi kIrthiya padadhe
shathamOdhanasthradhimdhali garBadhoLage pI
dithanAdha shishuparIkShithana samthaisidhe
shithikamTagolidhu sAyakanAgi muppuradha
sathiyaranolisi kIruthiyiththe Bakthanige
mithiyumte ninna karuNake dhEvapathi sAm
pratha bEdikombe binnapa kELajasra sam
sthuthipa Bakuthara manOraThava pUraisu su
vrathanAma shrIjagannAThaviTTala BAga
vatha janara priya nInE gathi emage ihaparadhi ||

nI salahalinnaaru mUrlOkadhoLu bamdha
ddaisuvaru oLahorage? dhAnava dhivou
kasaru ninage samarpaka kARya ma
hA suKadhi nadesuvaru niruthadhi lakShmi
dhAsiyemdhanipaLu ninnaramaneyalli
dhEsha kAla guNakarmAdhigaLu ninagA
vAsake yOgyavAdha sThAnavenipavu
Isha lOkake lEshAyAsa kANeno karu
NA samudhrane olidhu emma manadha aBi
lAShe pUraisemdhu bEdidheno vEdha
vyAsa kItage olidhu kottu mahAsim
hAsanavannErisi nI poredheyo pa
rAsharAthmaja ninna guNagaLa baNNise
nA samarThane emdhemdhigAdharu dhEva
nI sulaBanemdhAshrayisimdhu nA bi
nnaisidheno I rIthiyalli saru
vAsunilaya shrIjagannAThaviTTalarEya
Isu mAthugaLEke manmanadha
Ashe pUrthiya mAdi emmanu dhayadhi u
dhAsisadhe anudhina nOLpudhu ||

nigamathathigaLige vEdhyavAgadha ninna
agaNitha mahime lakumi bomma BavA
dhigaLu thAvariyaru sAkalyadhimdha ji
vigaLige gOcharisuvudhe ninna rUpa
Bagavamtha nIne dhayALuvemdharidhu nA
pogaLidheno yaThAmathiyoLage lEsha
bageyadhirennaparADhakOtigaLannu
jagathIpathi thanna maguvina thodhalu mA
thugaLane kELi thA nagutha kAmitha bage
bageyimdha pUrthisi mige haruShadhimdha
bigidhappi mOdhipanalladhe shishuvanu
thegedhu bisutu maththe pagegombanEnO thrai
yugane bidadhe pAdipogaLuva dhAsagI
bage badathanavEke samsAradhoLage nA
lmOganayya arThakAmagaLoLagippa I
rvage rOpavomdhAge AvudhasADhyavo
gagana BUpAthALa vyAptharUpage kara
mugive gOcharisemma dhRuguyugagaLigimdhu
yugavartha shrIjagannAThaviTTala nara
mRuganAgi kambhadhimdhogedhu bamdhodhagidhe ||

shrIniDhi prathidhEhamgaLalli gathi
nInalladhe emagArihaparadhalli
A naLinaBavaBavAdhyanimiShara ni
jAnamdhavarithu PalagaLa koduva ma
hAnuBAva emmaBimatha salisuvu
dhEnachchari ninnarisi lakumi kade
gANaLu paramaishvaRyadha prAmtha chi
dhAnamdhamayane praNathara aDhikA
rAnusAra nadesuva muKya
prANapathige nUthana vi~G~JApana
vEnumtinnanudhinadhali mALpudhu
mAnadha guru jagannAThaviTTala karu
NAniDhi sarvadha sulaBa nInallave? ||

chatula kARyagaLa samGatane mAduveyo ni
Shkutila jagannAThaviTTala dhEvOththama ||

The glittering Dassara that was

The dust has finally settled on this Year’s Mysore Dassara. All the brouhaha over the caparisoned elephant carrying the mammoth Golden Howdah on Vijaya Dashami and the fears on the conduct of the elephant during the Jumboo Savari or procession was after all just fears as the event passed off without any major hitch.

The Dassara was the cynosure of all eyes and lakhs of people made it to Mysore to witness the Nada Habba. The entire city of Mysore looked like one huge moving mass of people as they were to be found everywhere-at the Chamundi Betta worshipping the Goddess; at the Main palace taking in its splendor; at the KRS marveling at the engineering skill and ingenuity of Sir M Visveshvaraiah; at the Jaganmohan Palace gazing in amazement at the Lady with the Lamp, the magnificent musical clock and other rich collections and at the Cauvery emporium looking at awe with the intricate carved goods on display.

For thousands though, the Jumboo Savari or Vijayadashami procession was an event of lifetime. Except for the Republic Day, nowhere else is such an elaborate event held in India. Of course, there are several religious, political and social events but can they match the beauty and ancient history of  the Dassara. What distinguishes this event is the royal touch it gets and the air of religiosity and royal pomp that it breathes into the event.

While the Republic Day event is a little more than six decades old, the Dassara of Mysore goes back to more than four centuries though it was always not held in the City.

The first recorded mention of the Dassara in the Mysore annals is when Raja Wodeyar of Mysore defeats the Vijayanagar Viceroy in 1610 and he also shifts his capital from Msyore to Srirangapatna, which was the capital of the Vijayanagar province (He is the same Raja Wodeyar who was cursed by Alamelu, the wife of  the Vijayanagar Viceroy).

Raja Wodeyar decided to continue with the Dassara tradition that had been conceptualised into a grand and breathtaking affair by the Vijayanagar Emperors from 1336 when they founded the Hindu Empire with Hampi as their capital. Over years and centuries, the Vijayanagar Dassara came to be more elaborate and it transformed into an event that showcased the might and richness of the Vijayanagar Empire.

The ruins of the Mahanavami Dibba in Hampi is the place from where the Vijayanagar Emperors sat with their families and noblemen to witness the Dassara. The Dibba thus can be said to be the first recorded platform from where the Dassara was witnessed. Fortunately for us, we have enough records of the Dassara events held by three different Emperors of Vijayanagar and each is more magnificent than the other.

The first direct mention of the Dassara or Navaratri is by the Italian traveller Nicolo Conti or Nicolo dei Conti (1395-1469). He came to Hampi in 1420-1421 and his description of Hampi and the festivities is among the first of foreign accounts.

He was in Vijayanagar and he writes of the Dassara after the ascension of Devaraya the second (1428-1446). By the way, Dei Ponti never wrote anything himself, his memoires were recorded in Latin by Poggio Bracciolini (1380-1459), the Papal secretary, for the Pope’s information.

Conti was a Venetian merchant who traveled in Persia, India and the East Indies from 1419 to 1444. He embraced Eastern cultures, learning native languages, marrying an Indian woman, and even converting to Islam. When he returned to Italy, the Church forced him to convert back to Catholicism. As penance for his errant ways, Pope Eugenius IV (1431–1447) ordered Conti to retell the story of his travels to his Secretary Poggio Bracciolini.

In one of his chapters on Vijayanagar or Biznagar as he calls it, he describes the Navaratri in the following terms. “ Thrice in the year, they (people of Vijayanagar) keep festivals of especial solemnity. On one of these occasions the males and females of all ages, having bathed in the rivers or the sea, clothe themselves in new garments, and spend three entire days in singing, dancing, and feasting. On another of these festivals they fix up within their temples, and on the outside on the roofs, an innumerable number of lamps of oil of Susimanni, which are kept burning day and night. On the third (this is the Navaratri), which lasts nine days, they set up in all the highways large beams, like the masts of small ships, to the upper part of which are attached pieces of very beautiful cloth of various kinds, interwoven with gold. On the summit of each of these beams is each day placed a man of pious aspect, dedicated to religion, capable of enduring all things with equanimity, who is to pray for the favour of God. These men are assailed by the people, who pelt them with oranges, lemons, and other odoriferous fruits, all which they bear most patiently. There are also three other festival days, during which they sprinkle all passers-by, even the king and queen themselves, with saffron water, placed for that purpose by the wayside. This is received by all with much laughter”.

The next description of the Dassara is by the Persian traveller Abdul Razzak (1413-1482). He too came to Vijayanagar during his travels of India. He witnessed the Dasara and Navaratri celebrations during his stay at Hampi between 1442-1443 and the Emperor then was Devaraya the second.

He was in Hampi or Vijayanagar from the end of April till December 5 1443. Razzak mentions a nine-storied pavilion from which the King and his nobles witnessed the Dassara.

He says, “The infidels of this country who are endowed with power are fond of displaying their pride, pomp, power and glory in holding every year a stately and magnificent festival which they call Mahanavami”.

An awe struck  Razzak remarked of Hampi, “The city is such that eye has not seen nor ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth. It is so built that it has seven fortified walls, one within the other.”

The Dassara celebrations reached the pinnacle during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1530). This is described in detail by Domingo Paes during his visit to Hampi in 1520. A Portuguese traveller, his account of Hampi or Bisnaga as he calls it, is one of the most detailed of all historic narrations.. 

 Krishnadeva Raya ensured that the Dassara was celebrated with grandeur  and pomp.

After him the Dassara is described by Fernao Nuniz, a Portuguese traveller. He was in the court of Achyutaraya and he describes the Dassara of 1532.

Tragically, the pomp and glory of the Vijayanagar fades into pages of history as the Muslim Kingdoms of the Deccan rout the Hindu Kingdom in the battle of Talikota near Bijapur in 1565. Hampi is destroyed, pillaged, ravaged and burnt down and all its edifices is ruthlessly and systematically broken down.

Dassara thus vanished after 1565 only to reappear a few years later in the Vijayanagar province of Srirangapatna. The years after 1565 see an uneasy calm between the rising forces of Mysore Wodeyars and the declining power of the Vijayanagars.

In 1610, Raja Wodeyars vanquishes the Vijayanagar Wodeyar and takes their capital of Srirangapatna. He then decides to continue with the Dassara celebrations and since then, the procession has come to be known as Mysore Dassara.

However, Dassara came to Mysore only after 1799: when Tipu Sultan was killed in the fourth and final battle Anglo-Mysore war, the capital was shifted to Mysore and the Kingdom restored to the Wodeyars.

The Wodeyars continued the Dassara at Mysore. The last Wodeyara Maharaja to participate in the Dassara festivities was Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar. Today, his son and heir, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, continues the legacy but he is no Maharaja but only a Yuvaraja.

The Dassara now has become an event organised by the Government. Naturally, babus and bureaucrats, netas and politicians want to hog the limelight. The crowds that the Dassara draws act as a catalyst for these people who make a beeline to Mysore during Dassara.

Thankfully, nobody has been able to tamper with the tradition of the Dassara which is still kept alive in its antiquity by the Wodeyar family. The Khasa Darbar of private durbar during Navaratri, the exhibition of the Golden throne during Navaratri, the Vajra Musti Kalaga and many other rituals associated with the sacred are still kept alive by members of the royal family. 

The Town of eight hills

It is a town that we come across when we go to Biligiri Ranga Hills (BR Hills) from Bangalore. It was believed to have been first established by the Cholas. Therefore, it was then called Ilamaraduru Nadu in ancient Tamil Scripts.

On their part, the Cholas called it Cholendrasimha Chaturvedi Mangalam. Kannadigas called it Hadhinadu Pranthya.

The town is also part of the smallest taluk in the district in which it is located. It is surrounded by eight hills of which Biligiri is the most famous.

The town boats of a couple of historic and unique temples. There is a temple dedicated to Varaha, one of the Dashavatars of Vishnu.

Varaha is the third avatar of  Vishnu and there is also a shrine of Ganapathi here at its south-west corner. This Ganapathi is growing every year.

The other temple is that of Gaurishvara.It a Vijayanagar style structure constructed around 1550 when Devabhupala or Singadepa was the local ruler. It was subsequently rebuilt during  1654 -1655 by Muddabhupa, grandson of Devabhupala.

The temple has a unique entrance called Bale Mantapa (Bangle entrance) which features some of the most exquisite stone carvings on the walls and pillars. These carvings depict mythological stories of the slaying of the demon Andhakasura, Lord Narasimha  in different postures, Vali, Sugreeva and Krishna.

The carved stone chain rings - 20 cm each- adorn the four corners and the door side of the entrance and this gives it the name of Bale Mantapa. The entrance was built by Muddabhupa or Mudduraja in 1654 (We can see similar stone chains in the temple in Talakadu).

During the Vijayanagar Empire, this town and its surrounding areas were known for its riches. Till Independence, it was the jagir of a former Dewan of the Mysore Kingdom. After 1847, the Imam properties were abolished and taken over by the Government and this town initially came under Mysore district.

A few decades ago, it became part of Chamarajanagar district. Today, it stands at the entrance to the busy BR Hills Road. However, only a handful of the thousands of tourists, wildlife enthusiasts and Nature lovers who throng to BR Hills give a second glance to this town.

Not many realise that they would have missed a date with history by not spending time here. This is the town of Yelandur, which once was the jagir of Dewan Purnaiah. The jagirship continued till 1947 when it was abolished and the place integrated with the rest of the district.

Yelandur is surrounded by eight hills: to the East rises the magnificent Shwetha Giri (Billigri), to the South-East is Mallinatha Giri, to the South is Suragiri, to the South-West Shankareshwara Giri, to the West Mallikarjuna Giri, to the North-West Shambulingana Giri, to the North Srisaila Giri and to North-East Nirmala Giri.

All these hills are accessible from this town which is an oasis of greenery. The town has produced several great personalities such as Narashima Bhatta, the Ayurvedic expert (1790), Sanchi Honnamma (1680) and Vishalaksha Pandit, the Jain Vidwan.        

Yalandur is the smallest taluk in Chamarajanaar district with just 33 villages. It is situated about 60 km south-west of Mysore and about 150 km south of  Bangalore.

In history days, the town was called Ramachndra Yelanbure. Later.  it became Yelandur. Today, it is known as the town surrounded by eight hills. 

A temple and memorial to a son

Who has not heard the moving tale of Dasaratha, the father of Rama-Lakshmana, and Shravana Kumara. The tale ends with Dasaratha, the King of Ayodhya accidentally felling Shravana with an arrow.

The place where Shravana was killed is claimed by both Karnataka and also Uttar Pradesh. If it is Unnnao in Uttar Pradesh, the place in Karnataka is Dasaratha Rameshwara, a small hamlet in Chitradurga district.

It is in Karnataka that a memorial, if that can be called so, was installed in memory of Shravana by both Dasaratha and Rama. The village, which is in Hosadurga taluk of Chitradurga district later came to be known as Dasaratha Rameshwara.

The temple too is called by the name Dasaratha Rameshwara and it is located in the midst of a beautiful forest. The serene surroundings and the beauty of the area makes it difficult to believe that both Dasartha and Rama grieved for the slain Shravana that they built a temple in his name.

 This is a very popular temple and both Dasaratha and Rama have installed  a Shiva Linga to atone for the sin of killing Shravana and also to ensure that Shravana’s soul rested in peace.

This site is mentioned in the Ramayana too.

Shravana lived during the time Dasaratha lorded over Ayodhya. Shravana was born to a Vaishya father and a Shudra mother.

One day his parents told him that they had become quite aged and they wanted to go on a pilgrimage.

Shravana placed his aged and almost blind parents in two baskets and carried the baskets on his shoulders. He came to the village here where Dasaratha was out hunting. Dasaratha heard the sound of someone drinking water from a lake. Assuming it to be a dear, he shot an arrow. The arrow killed Shravana who was at the lake drawing water for his parents.  

Shravana then asked Dasaratha to carry the water to his parents. Even as Dasaratha prepared to do so, Shravana died of arrow wounds.

When Dasaratha gave water and informed Shravana’s parents of the death of their son, they both cursed him saying that he too would experience Putrashoka or the loss of a son in due course of time.

While in the south, Dasaratha Rameshwara is believed to be the exact spot where Shravana died, Sarwara village in Unnao district also lays claim to be the very place.

Locals will show you the place at Sarwara where Dasaratha shot his arrow. An old memorial for Shravana stands on the bund of a lake.

The memorial consists of a statue of Shravana. If the locals are to be believed, the stone statue still years for water. They say if water is poured into the navel of the stone figure, the hole never gets filled up. Villagers from Sarvan and adjoining places visit the spot every Monday to offer prayers to Shravana, who is revered as a dutiful son.

The place where Shravana’s parents died or heartbreak is called Samadha. Thus if one place has a temple to India’s most dutiful son, another has a memorial. Both the temple and the memorial like in opposite directions-one in the South and the other in the North, perhaps a standing testimony to the devotion of a son to his parents.

The best Keshava of the Hoysalas

Hassan district in Karnataka is known all over the world for its Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu and also the mammoth statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelogala.

However, what many do not know is that there are several other villages and towns where the Hoysalas left behind some magnificent temples and Jain Basadis.

One such village is Agrahara Belguli, an enchanting hamlet, just 25 kilometres from Channarayapatna in Hassan district.

The village is home to the stupendous temple of Kesaveshwara, also known as Betteshwara or even Keshava. This temple is a Dwikuta with the deity of  Keshava facing south and a Linga facing east.

The temple was built in 1209 AD by Kesiraja or Keshava Dandanayaka, a commander in the employ of the then Hoysala Emperor, Ballala the second. An inscription near the main entrance of the temple also testifies to this fact.

The main attraction of the temple is the deity itself which is five and a half foot in height. It is consecrated in the northern Garbhagriha. This is a Chaturbhuja idol-Keshava with four hands each adorned with conch, disc, club and lotus.

The idol stands on a two-and-a-half foot high pedestal. Sculptors and historians say that this is one of the best representations of Kesava in Hoysala style.

The Keshava here has a restrained and serene look on the face. The prabhavali is highly ornamental with carvings depicting the ten avatars of Vishnu or the Dashavatars. Of them, the representation of Matsya and Kurma shown as fish and tortoise, are simply grand in design.

There are two exquisitely designed and decorated porches within the temple itself and attached to it is the Nandi Mantapa.  A beautiful idol of Nandi, which is four feet in height, is situated in this mantapa.

The temple is unique as it has two Mahadwaras. A rare feature in a Hoysala structure, Another inscription near the temple refers to an Agrahara called  Keshavapura, which seems to have disappeared.

The inscription also talks of two tanks called Keshava Samudra and Lakshmi Samudra.
The Keshava Temple has a starlet plan and it faces East. Unlike other temples, the exterior is rather plain but the interior is profusely decorated. The makara thoranas in the sanctum and sukhanasi will leave you breathless.  The navaranga, like in any other Hoysala temple, has nine different Bhuvaneshvari carvings with floral decorations. The Ashtadikpalakas in the central Bhuvaneshvari has minute details etched on it.

There are four lathe-turned pillars, which are typical of the  Hoysala style of temple construction. These pillars are taller when compared to other pillars. Elegant sculptures of Saraswati, Bhairava, Ganapati and Sapatamatrikas adorn this temple, where the linga is placed in the main sanctorum.
The temple is a complete Hoysala structure, but for the mortar shikhara added in the later days. A master piece of  Hoysala architecture, the temple is built  in soapstone (Chloritic Schist).The  western part was built first and the southern part added later.

Belaguli is about 25 km from Chennarayapatna.It is on the Chennarayapatna-Tiptuir road. Chennarayapatna is 148 kms from Bangalore and 30 kms from Holenarsipur. It is easily accesible by rail and road network.

Historians say that during the Hoysala period, the Agrahara housed several Brahmin scholars and their families who performed Shatkarmas -adhyayana-adhyaapana,yajana-yaajana,daana-pratigrahana). Today there are just three such families.

There are three other temples in the village-the temples of Kattappa, Honnadevi and Someshwara.

The Honnamanakere(formerly Lakshmi Samudra) and Nachanahallikere (formerly Keshava Samudra) situated at the either ends of the village have historical importance.

Copra available here is of high quality.

A school , degree college and university of temple architecture

This is the first of a series of article on the temples of Karnataka. Since there are a vast number of temples, we have decided to take them up as per the dynasties that ruled over Karnataka. 

The first part commences with the Chalukyas.

The Chalukyas ruled over large parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra and they were a powerful kingdom in the Indian sub-continent in the ancient ages. One Chalukya king, Pulakeshi defeated Harsha or Harshavardhana on the banks of the Narmada. Pulakeshi is one of the greatest kings of Karnataka. He died in a war with the Pallavas. One of his descendents, Vikramaditya, is equally revered as an outstanding Emperor of his times. Both Pulakeshi and Vikramaditya have left behind a wealth of temples.    

The Chalukyas and Pallavas were bitter rivals ands each sacked the capital of the other.

Badami was the capital of the Chalukyas. Apart from this town, Chalukyan temples can mainly be found in Aihole, Pattadakal, Banashankari, Mahakuta, Geresoppa and Alampur.

Though they ruled over a vast land, it is still a mystery why they concentrated on building temples in just these areas.

It is under the Chalukyas that temple architecture as is today came into being. The earliest temples in India were built by them. The Aihole-Pattadakal site is called cradle of temple art.

Therefore, we have started the series on temples with the Chalukyas.

So here goes…….     

India as we all know is the land of temples. Tamil Nadu has the largest number of temples in the country and Karnataka stands third.

Karnataka has nearly 36,000 temples and these structures are in all the districts and almost every place in the State that is inhabited. The Department of Religious and Charitable Endowment of the State says 35,000 temples are associated with the Muzrai Department.

The Muzrai Department keeps a record of all temples that it either runs directly or gives grants. A list of almost all the ancient temples is also available with the Archaeological Department.

Karnataka is fortunate that it has temples ranging from all the centuries and they cover the periods of the Chalukyas, Hoysalas, Vijayangars, Wodeyars, Rashtrakuras, Gangas, Nolambas, Kadambas, Kalachuris, Nomabas and of course the Palegars or local chieftains.

The earliest temple, as is built now, can be seen at Badami and the structure belongs to the Chalukyas. The group of Chalukya temples at Badami, Banashankari, Aihole, Pattadakal and Mahakuta goes back to the 7th century AD.

The Chalukyas have built temples dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The Vishnu Temple in Badami was built by Mangalesa.

The cave temples especially those at Badami contain fine sculptures of Vishnu reclining on Shesha Naga, Varaha the Boar, Narasimha or the half-lion and half-man and Vamana the dwarf. The Chalukya kings also built the rock cut caves at Badami.

The Chalukya Temples are important as it is here that temple architecture took birth. The Dravadian styles of the temples of Pattadakal came to be widely adopted by kingdoms of east and Central India. Aihole has more than 100 temples and the style of temple building in South India originated from here. Therefore, Aihole is also called the cradle of temple architecture.

There are ten main temples in  Pattadakal and of them six are in  Dravadian style and  four in Rekhanagar style.The Virupaksha temple here was built on the lines of the magnificent Kailasanath temple in Kanchi near Chennai.

Badami

Badami was part of  Bijapur district. Now it is in Bagalkot district.

Badami earlier was called Vatapi and it was the ancient capital of the Chalukyas. The Bhutanatha hill has four temples, with several beautiful bas reliefs. The Dattatreya Temple goes back to the 12th century, the Mallikarjuna Temple with a star shaped construction to the 11th century.

The cave temples of Badami can be called as the earliest structures of its times. It is cut from sandstone on the cliff of a hill. The caves are dedicated to Hindu and Jain gods. The biggest cave is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Beneath the caves is a beautiful lake called Agasthya reservoir. There are temples all around the lake.   

Aihole

There are more than 100 temples here. Archaeologists and historians say temple architecture in the Deccan originated here. The Durga temple is known for its apsidal plan, exquisite carvings and its pillared corridors. The temple appears to have been built over several periods. Much of the temples here dates back to the 6th and 7th centuries.

The earliest of the temples here date back to the 450 AD.

The second phase of temples here were built from the 12th and 13th centuries.

Banashankari

The Banashankari temple is one of the largest of its kind. Located in  Cholachagudda, 5 kms from Badami, it is called Shakambari, Banashankari or Vanashankari since it is within the Tilakaaranya forest.

An incarnation of Parvathi, the original temple was built in the 7th century Kalyani Chalukyas- the period of Jagadekamalla, the first, in 639 AD. The present structure dates back to 1750 and it was built  by a Maratha chieftain Parushuram Agale.

The deity is carved out of black stone and it was consecrated by the Chalukyas. She is seated on a lion with the demon at her feet. According to legend, Parvathi killed a demon-Durgamasara- at this place.

There is a beautiful enclosed pond in front of the temple called Harindra Theertha.

Alampur

Another group of temples belonging to the Chalukyas is at Alampur in Andhra Pradesh.

The Alampur temples are nine structures dedicate to Brahma and, hence, the name the Nava Brahma temples. Some of the temples have been built by Pulakeshi. 

The Badami Chalukya architecture evolved between the  5^th and  8th centuries and this style is called Vesare.  This style was arrived at after blending the Indo-Aryan, Dravadian and Nagara styles. This style reappeared several centuries later during the Vijayanagar period.

One of the main features of the Chalukyan temples and caves arethat they have the names and sometime even the signature of sculptors who built them. In some temples, we have more than one name and they testify to the principle of unity in diversity. If one temple wall ahs the name of one sculpture, another has a different name.     

No wonder, Aihole is considered a school of architecture, Badami a degree college, and Pattadakal, a university of architecture. In 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) included Pattadakal in its list of World Heritage sites.

Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal and Banashankari are in Bagalkot district. The nearest city is Bagalkot or even Bijapur, which was the capital of the Adilshahis. Badami is connected by road and rail networks as is Bagalkot and Bijapur.   

The temple where Paan is the prasad

This is perhaps the only temple in India which gives out paan as Prasada. This could also be the only temple within a huge palace. Therefore the deity is worshipped more as a King rather than as God.

Though a temple was constructed to house the deity, it could never be placed there as the deity choose the palace to reside. This is the temple of  Ram Raja in Orcha near Jhansi in Madhya Pradesh.   

The temple is situated in the premises of the Rani-Ka-Mahal. It is here that devotees are offered Paan as prasada. This is because the priests consider the place as a court of Ram and not a shrine.

The Ram was meant to be housed in the magnificent Chaturbhuj Temple that was built by the Bundela Emperors. 

The Ram here is seated on a throne and he is flanked in his Durbar by his wife Sita and his brothers, Hanuman and his courtiers.

Ram presides over his court and he gives Paan to whoever comes.

Just besides the door leading to the Durbar or sanctum is a statue of an armed guard. The guard stands vigil as Ram holds forth on maters of state.

The morning and evening poojas are a sight to see. It is during  aarti that the devotees receive a paan-a symbol of hospitality, love and affection. The deity is also given gunshot salute as he is a King.

The Rama Navami festival here are special and the Vivaha Panchami festivities during November and December herald  the nuptials of Ram and Sita. Rama arrives in a splendid palanquin  to wed Sita who is beautifully decorated.

There is a beautiful story on how Ram came into the palace, never to move out.

A King of Orcha, Madhukar Shah, was an ardent devotee of Banke Bhihari (Lord Krishna) while his wife was a devotee of Lord Ram.

The King frequently made fun of his wife and her devotion to Rama and asked her to follow Krishna. One day, the Queen  could not bear his taunts and she decided to leave the palace.

She wanted to go on foot from Orcha to Ayodhya so that she could get an idol of Ram. She left the palace without telling the King. Meanwhile, she instructed architects and builders to construct the Chaturbhuj Temple where she said she would place the idol of Ram.

The Queen reached Ayodhya. She fasted for several days and meditated on Ram who appeared before her. The Queen requested Ram to come back to Orcha with her. Ram agreed but he put forth three conditions.

His first condition was that he could come only as a child and not as a man. The second was that if he came to Orcha he would be the King. His final condition was that his consecration would have to be performed at a particular time. If that time passed, he would stay on in that place itself, irrespective of whichever that place was.

The Queen agreed to all the conditions. Ram and the Queen then set out to Orcha. Meanwhile, Madhukar Shah had a dream in which he was rebuked for trying to distinguish between Ram and Krishna. In the dream , he was told that Ram and Krishna were one and the same.

A repentant King came rushing to the Queen’s quarters. He then came to know the Queen had gone to Ayodhya and that she was returning back.

The Queen, with the baby Ram in her lap, went to her quarters and retired for the night. She wanted to consecrated Ram in the newly built Chaturbhuj temple the next day. Unfortunately, for her the time to consecrate the idol had already passed in the night and Ram transformed himself into an idol in the room. None could move the statue and the Queen decided to move out and construct a temple here itself.     

To this day, the Ram Raja Temple is in the palace and not in the Chaturbhuj which is adjacent to the palace. Ram also rules the land as he is King. Hence, the name Ram Raja Temple.

The temple is closed in the afternoon. It opens from 8 a.m., to   12-30p.m., and again from 7 p.m., to 9-30 p.m. Unlike other temples of Orcha, this palace-temple is painted in pink and cream.

The Lakshminarayana and Chaturbhuj Temples, Raja Mahal, Jahangir Mahal, Fort, Rai Parveen Mahal and the many Cenotaphs of the Bundela kings are other places of interest here.

Orcha is a historic town on the banks of the Betwa. It was founded in 1537 but was devastated by Shahajan, the Mughal Emperor. It is just 15 kms from Jhansi. Orcha is on the way from Jhansi to Khajurao.

Orcha has an excellent road and rail network.   

The place where Seetha lost her ring

Every day, there are hundreds of visitors who come to Muthathi near Bangalore to take in the beauty of the Cauvery and the surrounding wildlife.

Home to the Cauvery Wildlife sanctuary, Muthathi draws a lot of people. But not many know that there is temple here which is connected with the Ramayana.

This is the temple of Anjaneya, situated on the banks of the Cauvery. According to  a legend, Seeta, the wife of  Rama,  misplaced her nose ring in the Cauvery river. She was bathing in the river and the nose ring slipped out and fell.

Seetha was very attached to the nose ring and she was particular about getting it back. Hanuman looked for the ring and could not find it. He thought the ring might have fallen into the Cauvery and he began churning the river.

The nose ring soon re-appeared on top of the swirling waters. Hanuman took the ring reverentially and handed it back to Seetha.

The temple is situated on the exact point where the nose ring was discovered.

The Hanuman temple is also called Muthuraya. Muthu in Kannada means pearl and Seetha’s nose ring had a pearl in it. The priest and locals tell me that the temple is famous for helping devotees regain their lost possession.

They say if devotees pray to hanuman with full devotion, whatever they have lost will be restored back.  There is a saying in Kannada that goes like this. Murthy Chikkadadaru, Keerthi Doddadu. This means even if the deity is small, its fame is much bigger than its size. This adage aptly describes the temple and the idol.

Though the temple is small, it is worth a visit. A word of caution though. The temple is full of monkeys and they can be a handful. Take care of your belongings and hold onto them tightly.   

Muthathi is easily approachable from both Bangalore and Mysore and of course from other cities such as Kanakapura, Malavalli, Mandya and Maddur. Muthathi is in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district.

The forests around Muthathi is full of wildlife. You are sure to spot crocodiles, jackals, wild boars and if you are lucky even leopards. If you are an ornithologist, you can keep counting the number of birds that keep on coming here. 

Apart from Muthathi, you can also have a glimpse of the famous Chunchi falls, Gagan Chukki and Bara Chukki-Shivanasamudra, Meke Datu and Sangam and Bhimeshwari.

The fishing camp at Bheemeswari has been rated by the Angler Magazine as among the best in the world. Catch a masher, get it weighed and put it back into the river. I can assure you that even if you are not a fisher, undertake this once in a lifetime experience.

Muthathi and Bheemeswari are  90 kms from Bangalore via Kanakapura and Sathanur or Halagur.

If you want to combine all the places, I suggest you visit Chunchi falls first and then motor down to Sangam where you can cross across to other side of the Cauvery. It is from this place that the road to Meke Datu commences. You have to take buses and are charged Rs. 50 per head. Come back and take in a view of Muthathi. If you have the time, travel further to Shivanasamudra and onwards to Talkad-where you can take a coracle ride on the Cauvery and visit the sand filled temples-the Panchalingeshwara temples of the Gangas.   

If you want to stay back at Bheemashwari, you can contact the Jungle Lodges and Resorts on MG Road. Log onto their website for more details.

Arjuna's Chennakeshava

We have all heard about Arjuna, the renowned bowman of the Mahabharata period and a close friend of Krishna. But did you know that Arjuna visited Kannada Desha after the Mahabharata war.

He is suppose to have visited Bangalore (there was no such city then) and constructed a temple in Anekal which is ear Bangalore.

The temple exists even today and it is known as Arjuna’s Chennakeshava.

Arjuna not only visited Anekal and its surroundings but also Mulabagal, Avani and Kaiwara, all in Kolar. He also consecrated a temple in Mulabagal which was renovated several centuries later by the Mughal nobleman Todar Mal during the period of Akbar.

Anekal is a bustling town just 36 km from Bangalore and it is just a little more than an hour away. Since it is close to the Tamil Nadu border, its name is Anekal which means the place for elephants.

Till a few decades ago, Anekal had several places where there were huge ash mounds. These ashes were the purnahutis (holy ashes) after homas were conducted. Now, you can see such ashes at Budhikote in Kolar district.

The ashes were used by the farmers of the area as fertiliser.

Anekal in olden days was known as Gajasilapuri as elephants roamed the area. Another reason for the name could be because of the frequent hailstorms that lashed the area.

The first mention of the name Gajasilapuri is during the time of the Gangas. The province of Bangalore and its surroundings were part of the Ganga kingdom and the Gangas had their capital at Talakad near Mysore.

The origin of present day Anekal can be traced to 1603 to Chikka Thamma Gowda of  the Sugatur family. The then Adilshah General defeated Chikka Thamma Gowda who was a Palegar of Hoskote. The Adil Shah took over Hoskote and granted Anekal to Chikka Thamma Gowda. He ruled over Anekal for 30 years. His son, Thimme Gowda was the ruler of Anekal for 20 years. 

The Wodeyars conquered Anekal during the reign of  Chikka Thamma Gowda’s grandson, Dodda Thimme Gowda. A few years later Hyder and his son Tipu Sultan made Anekal a part of their kingdom. 

 Anekal has many temples and one of the oldest is the Chennakeshava.

This temple is historically and mythologically important as it was consecrated by Arjuna, one of the five the Pandava. This temple is built in the Vijayanagar style and we can surmise that the structure was repaired during the Vijayanagar period.   

The temple is set in a large ground and the Mahadwara faces south, though the structure (temple) faces East. The temple has been renovated. The idol of Chenna Keshava is beautiful and it is flanked by his two wives-Sridevi and Bhoo Devi.

There are four pillars in the Navaranga and one of them has carvings from the Ramayana. The second pillar has carvings of  Yoga Narasimha. Varaha, Matsya and Kalinga, while the third is carved with Hanuman and  Kamadhenu. The fourth pillars has images of Sugreva, Vali and Balarama.

The idol is also called Janardhana.  The temple is flanked by two beautiful water tanks. 

There are a few other temples in Anekal worth a visit. You can visit Hogenkal which is just a little distance away and Muthyal Maduvu (Valley of pearls), a water fall which falls in the form of pearls.

The Vivekananda Yogashrama is in Jigani, a small industrial town just before Anekal. This a well-known institution which teaches Yoga and Yoga therapy.

Anekal is just a little away from the Tamil Nadu border. Coming back, halt at Bannerghatta and enjoy the wildlife.

The oldest and the best fruitmix -a story of the divine panchamrita

There is a popular saying that Old is Gold. Nowhere is this more appropriate than the Palani Temple in Tamil Nadu.

The temple is noted for the deity of  Murugan or Karthikeya. But it has become world famous for its culinary aspect-the magical Panchamrita.

The Panchamrita of Palani is among the oldest preparation of its kind in the world and it is still the best. This prasada leaves you with a lingering taste for more and it is as famous as the Tirupathi laddus.

One of the best prasada which I have tasted apart from laddus of Tirupathi is the panchamrita of Palani. The Panchamitra is the staple Prasad of almost all Hindu temples. It is given to devotees in all Rayaru mathas and all other temples. On Thursdays, which is so dear to our Rayaru, the mathas give Panchamrita.

The aradhane of Rayaru is also the time when Panchamrita is give. But the best Panchamrita that I have ever tasted is the one given at Palani.

The Murugan or Karthekeyatemple in Palani is one of the most visited temple in Tamil Nadu. The panchamrita given here is as famous as the Tirupathi laddu. It has its own unique taste and flavour which cannot be replicated anywhere else.

As the Tirupathi laddus, the Panchamrita of Palani is much sougt for by the devotees and it yields crores of rupees to the temple. In 2008-09 alone the temple earned Rs. 14. 48 crores from the sale of  Panchamrita and this accounted for almost 20 per cent of the temple’s revenue. The temple sold 2.8 million kilograms of panchamrita during 2008-09.

The Jawadu vibhuti and panchamrita of Palani go hand and hand and there are several stress leading to the hill temple of Palani that sell them. You can also get them in the temple counters.

The panchamrita can be used for several days and it is neatly packed in tins. I can personally vouch for its taste and it is better than any jam or fruit mixture available in the market. Unfortunately, the Panchamrita is available only in half kg laminated tins and pet jars. The tin, when I bought it, was priced at Rs. 25 and the jars at Rs. 30. The prices have gone up now but they are a lot cheaper and taste better then jams.

The temple produces more than 10,000 kgs of panchamrita and the preparation is completely mechanised. The shelf life of these jars and tins are six months.

This is generic product and what gives the Panchamrita its unique flavour is the Viruppachi plantains. These plantains are grown in and around Palani and they are mixed with Kandasari sugar from Kangeyam. Dates, honey, sugar candy, cardamom and ghee are added for the mouth watering Panchamrita.

The Viruppachchi plantains grow exclusively in the Palani Hills and they have obtained Geographical Indication (GI) status. What is more the temple authorities of Palani have entered into an agreement with growers for supply of these plantains. Viruppachchi is also the name of a small village on the foothills of the Palani hill.

This plantain is small sized (very much like the Yelakki variety which is widely available in Bangalore) and it has lesser water content than other species. It, therefore, lasts longer and is more suitable for making or preparing the Panchamrita.

The Panchamrita is believed to cure several ills and it has medicinal properties. The idol too has medicinal properties  and it is made of nine medicinal herbs.

There are four ways to climb the hill for a darshan of Murugan. The first is to take the steps. There are 689 of them. This is the longest of the four routes. The second is the elephant path. As the name itself suggests, this was used by elephants and there is a natural spring on the way which has medicinal properties. The third manner to reach the hill top is by winch and the fourth is the ropeway. The third and fourth option just takes minutes to take you to the top.    

Palani is in Dindigul district and it is 60 kms away from Dindigul. Coimbatore is the nearest airport and it is 105 kms away.

The origin of Panchamrita in India can be traced to our Shastras and other religious texts where it was called the nectar of immortality. The Devas and other Gods attained immortality by drinking Panchamrita.

The first regular mention of Panchamrita is in the Mahabharata. It is linked to the story of the churning of the ocean between the Devas and the Asuras.

  

The temple that was built with ghee

Mortar is mixed with water for constructing buildings and this system is followed almost uniformly through out the world with very few exceptions. Both mortar and water form an indelible part of the construction in any building.

But did you know that there is a building in India where water was not used to mix mortar. Instead, pure ghee and coconuts were used in the construction.

This building still stands today and it is universally acknowledged as one of those rare buildings which are a marvel in civil engineering and building construction.

The building is in Rajasthan and it is a beautiful temple belonging to the Jains. The temple is located in Bikaner which is 331 kms from the State capital of Jaipur and 310 kms from Jodhpur.

The structure I am talking about is called Bhandasar Jain Temple. It is situated within the walled city of Bikaner. The temple is dedicated to the fifth Jain Thirthankara, Suminath.

It was commissioned by a wealthy merchant, Bhandasa Oswal or Banda Shah in 1468 and was completed only in 1514.

The temple of red sandstone and white marble stands testimony to the artistic grace and intricate workmanship of the Rajputs.  It has lavish interiors, breathtaking frescos, sculpted pillars and the ceiling has beautiful paintings.

When the temple was being constructed,  40,000 kg or 40 barrels of ghee was used instead of water in the mortar. This can be felt today too when during the hot days, the ghee melts and seeps through the walls.

The temple is a three storied structure. The gold leaf work, artistically sculpted pillars and frescoes tell us the stories of all the 24 Jain thirthankaras.

As soon as you enter the temple, you can sandstone pillars with floral designs. The first floor is devoted to the carvings of Jain thirthankaras. There are two beautiful idols of sentinels of gods on the first floor. There are beautiful balconies on the first and second floor of the temple.

The marble statue of Lord Sumatinath  sits on a silver throne inside a gold-plated marble canopy adorned with floral paintings. The porcelain tiles were imported from England.

Locals say that even the foundation was filled with ghee and dry coconut.

The temple is open from 6 a.m., to 7 p.m. This is one of the two Jain temples in Bikaner. The other temple is that of Sandeshwar. Though its is smaller than the Bhandasar temple, it has beautiful carvings on its doors and pillars.

Bikaner has 27 Jain temples. Other tourist attractions are the Junagarh fort built by Raja Rai Singh, who was a high ranking officer in the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar and his son Jahangir.

The Lakshmi Nivas palace was the official residence of the Bikaner kings. The Lalgarh palace was built between 1902 and 1926 according to Mughal, Rajput and European architectural styles. The Moolnayakji Temple is the first Vaishanava structure constructed in Bikaner. Built in 1486, it quickly became the seat of the Vaishanava sect.
The temple of Karni Mata is in Deshnoke, which is 30 kms from Bikaner. There are thousands of rats in the temple and they are not shooed away. The presiding goddess is Durga. Every January, Bikaner comes alive with the magnificent camel festival. If you like adventure, take a camel ride or go into the Thar desert.

There is another Jain temple worth seeing in Phalodi. It is 184 kms away from Bikaner but let me tell you it is worth a visit. The Parasanath temple has beautifully sculpted Belgian glass. It was  constructed in 1847 by the Oswal Jains and has been built exclusively with  stones, It does not have any girders or RCC construction. It is made of old Belgium glass. This Jain temple is considered a marvel in architecture.

Bikaner is 2200 kms from Bangalore. There are trains and flights available. It is the fifth largest City of Rajasthan.

The ancient temples of bangalore

Bangalore perhaps is the most cosmopolitan city in India and it has people from almost all the states in the country, so much so that Kannadigaes are in a minority.
The secular character of Bangalore can be gauged from the fact that Bangalore has more than a thousand temples, 100 churches, 40 Jain temples and religious institutions, three Gurudwaras, two Buddhists Viharas or monasteries and two Parsi temples.
The population of the city has touched 85 lakhs and people keep on pouring into the City. The number of religious institutions also seems to be increasing every day and new places of worship are being built in almost all the localities. The members of the Jewish   community are planning to set up their place of worship.
The 2001 census report says almost 74 per cent of Bangalore’s population are Hindus,13 per cent Muslims, 5.7 per cent are Christians and 1 per cent Jains.
In this article, I will try to trace some of the temples of Bangalore.
The oldest temple in Bangalore is believed to be the Chokanatha Temple dedicated to Vishnu. It is in Domlur and was built by Raja Raja Chola. So that makes this structure more than a thousand year old.

The temple was renovated 25 years ago. Raja Raja constructed the temple after he conquered Yelahanka.  The ten avatars of Vishnu, called the Dashavatara, are sculpted on the temple pillars. There are inscriptions in the temple going back to the Cholas. Domlur is  referred to as Tombaluru.

The smaller idols of  Sridevi and Bhoodevi are placed alongside the main idol of Vishnu.

There is an Anjaneya Temple nearby which is worth a visit.

Another old temple is the Someshwara Temple at Ulsoor.  The temple is near the MEG Centre and in recent years has become very famous.

It was built around the 12^th century and it was renovated by the Yelahanka Nada Prabhus.  Legend says that Kempe Gowda found treasure on the spot and built this temple after the deity of Someshwara came in his dream.

The Gavi Gangadheshwara Temple is a marvel in temple architecture built by Kempe Gowda. Located in Gavipuram Guttahalli, behind Ramakrishna Ashrama  (off Bull Temple road), it houses a beautiful linga carved of granite.
There is an idol dedicated to Agni, the god of fire. This is one of the oldest cave temples in Bangalore and it houses several other idols. The cave, according to Hindu mythology, dates back to the Trehta Yuga.
There are two tunnels  in the cave, both of which are blocked. One of them is supposed to lead to Shivagange , which is 60 kms from Bangalore and another to Kashi, which is more than a 1,000 kms away.
The Bull Temple is supposed to have been built by Kempe Gowda in 1537. The Bull or the Nandi is one of the biggest of its kind in India. The Dodda Ganesha and Shiva Temples are situated nearby.

The Kadu Malleswarama temple in Malleswara has a link with the Maratha Emperor Shivaji.  The temple originally belonged to Shivaji’s step brother Venkoji.

Venkoji came across a Shivalinga buried in mud and he constructed this temple in 1669.

The temple of Shiva at Begur, just a few minutes from the Central Silk Board on the Bangalore-Hosur Road, dates back to 1000 AD. This temple is very important as the first mention of Bangalore is found in an inscription here

The Kote Venkataramanaswamy Temple was built more than 300 years ago by Chikkadevaraya Wdoeyar. It is adjoining the summer palace of Tipu.  The Garuda Sthamba has a small  depression. This happened during the fourth Mysore War between Tipu Sultan and the British, A cannon fired by the British hot the Garuda Sthamba.

The Gali Anjaneya Temple on Mysore Road is believed to have been consecrated by Vyasa Theertha. It is at the confluence of two rivers but today the rivers are full of sewage. The oldest Hanuman temple is in Yelahanka.Other temples dedicated to Hanuman are near the Bangalore Fort, in front of Minto Eye Hospital and  JP Nagar 3^rd Phase.

A beautiful temple to Ranganathaswamy is located off Avenue Road. It was built during the 16^th century and is in the Vijayanagar style. The temple is adorned with carved granite pillars. It is on Ranganathaswamy Street.

There is a temple dedicated to Kashi Vishveshvaraiah in Balepet.It was built in 1840. There is also a temple to Dharmaraya on OTC Road where the Karaga procession commences.   The temple has deities of the five Pandavas and Draupadi. It was built more than 800 years ago by the Thigala community. Immamadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar visited the temple in 1811 and presented two swords for performing Aluguseve.

The temple at Ramanjenaya Gudda near Hanumanthanagar is set in a park. It is worth a visit. The Vasantha Vallabha temple in Vasanthapura off  Kanakapura road is more than 1,000 years old. It is dedicated to Vallabha, a form of Vishnu. It is in a locality called Vasanthapura. It was built by the Cholas.

The Banashankari temple in Banashankari is famous though it is not as old as the temples listed here. The temple is always crowded and it is built on the lines of the Banashankari temple at Banashankari near Pattadakal in Bagalkot district.

The Mookambika Temple in Mahalakshmi layout is visted by devotes for its oracular powers. If you have time visit the Narasimha Temple at Roppena Agrahara. It is more than 400 years old and is very unique. It is called Hari Vaikunta Temple and it is off  Hosur Road.

The TTD office at Vyalikaval behind Choiwdaiah memorial Hall has installed a statue of Srinivasa on the lines of the Srinivasa statue at Tirupathi. You get Tirupathi laddus on specified dates and you cam get information about sevas on Tirupathi from the info counter here.   

There are temples dedicated to Raghavendra in many localities and Jayanagar has two of them. The oldest Raghavendra temple is Sitapathi Agrahara near Central police station. There is the brindavana of Sripadaraja at Narasimha Gudda in B S Krishnappa Layout off Hoskerehalli.

The Vyasa Raya Matha in Basavanagudi has idols of Srinivasa and a brindavana of Raghavendra Swamy. The matha is now under the control of  the Muzrai department.

The Govardhanagiri hill opposite BMS College on Bull Temple Road has a small and beautiful shrine of  Krishna, It was commissioned by the Puttige Matha.

The Devagiri Temple behind Suchitra film academy in Banashankari 2ns stage is famous for the Srinivasa temple.     

Newer temples in Bangalore are ISCKON in Rajajinagar, the Anjenaya temple in Mahalakshmi Layout, Meenakshi temple in Hulimavu and the Nimishamba temple in BEML Layout and Raja Rajeshwaru Temple in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, the Ragigudda temples and the temples in Hanumathnagar and Basavanagudi.

The Ayappa temple at Jalahalli very famous. There are many other Ayappa temples all over the city. The Sringeri Sharada temple in Shankarapuram and the recently constructed Narasimha Temple in Uttaradhi Temple in Uttraradhi Matha premises on Uttaradhi Matha road (behind National College) in Basavanagudi is a new attraction.