Kodandarama Temple
Encyclopedia
Kodandaramaswami Temple is a Hindu shrine
located at Hiremagalur
near Chikkamagaluru
, in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka
, India. The temple deity is called Kodandarama, as Rama
, and his brother Lakshmana
are depicted holding arrows.
The temple is State protected and appears to have been constructed in three stages, with its garbhagrha
and sukhanasi structures in the Hoysala style. The remaining portions are additions in Dravidian
style. The present navaranga is of the 14th century. While the mukhamandapa
may be of the 16th century. The outer walls of the garbhagruha and vestibule are raised on a square basement which consists of six cornices. The outer walls of the navaranga and mukhamandapa are built with brick and mortar. The projection of the vestibule appears to be of the 17th century.
on a common Hanuman
pedestal, 1.5 ft high, there are idols of Kodandarama with Sita
to his right and Lakshmana
to his left. Rama and Lakshmana carry the arrows in their right hands and strung bows in their left hands. The idols appear to be of a later date and not of the Hoysala period.
In the prakara (enclosure) of the temple, there are small shrines containing the figures of Yoganarasimha
, Sugriva
, Kalinga
, Mardhana, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya
, Vedanta Desika
, and some alwars. Yoganarasimha, so called because his meditation posture, measures 1.06 metres (3½ ft.) high having a prabhavati on which the 10 incarnations are sculpted. But after Rama, Balarama
and Krishna
are engraved, with the Buddha missing. This is common in many Srivaishnava
representations of dashavataras as they give prominence to Balarama
, here measuring 4 ft. with four hands and in a pre-Hoysala style, resembling Badami Chalukya workmanship. While his right lower hand has a short round staff, the lower left is placed on the waist. The outer-walls of the garbhagrha and sukansi have, besides pilasters and turrets, two rows of figures representing mostly Vishnu
and his Avatar
s such as Hayagriva
, Narasimha
, Lakshminarayana, Venugopala, Kalinga-Mardana and Govardhanadhari. There are also figures of Lakshmi
, Hanuman
, Garuda
and Ganapati. A yatra
of Kodandarama temple is held for one day about (February–March) of every year. The temple had a pond nearby which is now dry.
. Purushottama requested Rama
to show him the scene of his (Rama's) marriage. Therefore Sita stands to Rama’s right side and Lakshmana to his left, as per the tradition in Hindu
marriage ceremonies. Perhaps this is the only temple where Sita and Lakshmana are positioned like this, as popular renderings of the trio (Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita) depict Sita to Rama's left. The idols are best described by the poet Sri. Da. Ra. Bendre: "All the three idols appear to be walking towards the viewer looking at the placement of their feet. The sculptor has carved intricately the crown, jewellery and the positions of the bodies. Sita’s posture, eyes looking down, her jewelery are sculpted really well."
Legends say that the place was the residence of nine siddhas who performed penance near a pond in the village known as Siddha Pushkarni and that as Parashurama
too lived here, it was called Bhargavapuri, or "town of Bhargava (Parashurama).
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
located at Hiremagalur
Hiremagalur
Hiremagalur , which was until recently a separate village, is now a part of Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka. In 1971, its population was 1,456 in an area of 1,300 hectares. During the 9th and 11th centuries it was a flourishing agrahara town...
near Chikkamagaluru
Chikkamagaluru
Chikmagalur is a town located in Chikkamagaluru district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located in the foothills of Mullayanagiri range chikmagalur is famous for the coffee, it is known as the coffee land of karnataka. it has international school called ambar valley and a star resort by name...
, in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India. The temple deity is called Kodandarama, as Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, and his brother Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
are depicted holding arrows.
The temple is State protected and appears to have been constructed in three stages, with its garbhagrha
Garbhagriha
Garbhagriha or Garbha griha is the small unlit shrine of a Hindu temple.Garbhagriha or ' is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti of the primary deity of the temple...
and sukhanasi structures in the Hoysala style. The remaining portions are additions in Dravidian
Dravidian architecture
Dravidian architecture was a style of architecture that emerged thousands of years ago in Southern part of the Indian subcontinent or South India. They consist primarily of pyramid shaped temples called Koils which are dependent on intricate carved stone in order to create a step design consisting...
style. The present navaranga is of the 14th century. While the mukhamandapa
Mandapa
A mandapa in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.-Temple architecture:...
may be of the 16th century. The outer walls of the garbhagruha and vestibule are raised on a square basement which consists of six cornices. The outer walls of the navaranga and mukhamandapa are built with brick and mortar. The projection of the vestibule appears to be of the 17th century.
Temple contents
In the garbhagrhaGarbhagriha
Garbhagriha or Garbha griha is the small unlit shrine of a Hindu temple.Garbhagriha or ' is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti of the primary deity of the temple...
on a common Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
pedestal, 1.5 ft high, there are idols of Kodandarama with Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
to his right and Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
to his left. Rama and Lakshmana carry the arrows in their right hands and strung bows in their left hands. The idols appear to be of a later date and not of the Hoysala period.
In the prakara (enclosure) of the temple, there are small shrines containing the figures of Yoganarasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
, Sugriva
Sugriva
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Sugriva , also spelled Sugreeva or Sugreev, was the younger brother of Bali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the vanara or monkey kingdom Kishkindha. Ruma was his wife. He was the son of Surya, the Hindu deity of the sun...
, Kalinga
Kalinga
Kalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north...
, Mardhana, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
, Vedanta Desika
Vedanta Desika
Vedanta Desika was a Sri Vaishnava Guru. He was a poet, devotee, philosopher and master-teacher...
, and some alwars. Yoganarasimha, so called because his meditation posture, measures 1.06 metres (3½ ft.) high having a prabhavati on which the 10 incarnations are sculpted. But after Rama, Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
and Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
are engraved, with the Buddha missing. This is common in many Srivaishnava
Srivaishnava
Sri Vaishnava is a universal term among Hindus for worshippers of Vishnu. They are not limited to any part of India. Over its long history, Sri Vaishnavism has influenced nearly every aspect of Indian religious life.- Overview :...
representations of dashavataras as they give prominence to Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
, here measuring 4 ft. with four hands and in a pre-Hoysala style, resembling Badami Chalukya workmanship. While his right lower hand has a short round staff, the lower left is placed on the waist. The outer-walls of the garbhagrha and sukansi have, besides pilasters and turrets, two rows of figures representing mostly Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and his Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
s such as Hayagriva
Hayagriva
Hayagriva is a horse-headed deity that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism.-Hinduism:...
, Narasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
, Lakshminarayana, Venugopala, Kalinga-Mardana and Govardhanadhari. There are also figures of Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
, Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
, Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
and Ganapati. A yatra
Yatra
' , in Hinduism and other Indian religions, generally means pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Tīrtha-yātrā refers to a pilgrimage to a holy site, and is...
of Kodandarama temple is held for one day about (February–March) of every year. The temple had a pond nearby which is now dry.
Legend
According to sthalapurana, or local legend, proud Purushottama was subdued at Hiremagalur by RamaRama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
. Purushottama requested Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
to show him the scene of his (Rama's) marriage. Therefore Sita stands to Rama’s right side and Lakshmana to his left, as per the tradition in Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
marriage ceremonies. Perhaps this is the only temple where Sita and Lakshmana are positioned like this, as popular renderings of the trio (Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita) depict Sita to Rama's left. The idols are best described by the poet Sri. Da. Ra. Bendre: "All the three idols appear to be walking towards the viewer looking at the placement of their feet. The sculptor has carved intricately the crown, jewellery and the positions of the bodies. Sita’s posture, eyes looking down, her jewelery are sculpted really well."
Legends say that the place was the residence of nine siddhas who performed penance near a pond in the village known as Siddha Pushkarni and that as Parashurama
Parashurama
Parashurama , is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and mother Renuka. He is considered one of the seven immortal human. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of...
too lived here, it was called Bhargavapuri, or "town of Bhargava (Parashurama).