Keshava Temple, Somanathpura

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Keywords: Hoysala Temples, Keshava Temple, Somanathapura

I had a lot of expectations from Somanathapura temple from what I had read so far on the internet and also from what I had heard from many people who had visited there earlier.
Location: Somanathapura Temple

We reached Somanathapura around 10:00 A. M. The temple complex looked huge from the outside. As we walked inside the complex, we had to pay an entry fees. The temple complex was super clean and the best part was that there were hardly any people. It was good to see the temple so well maintained in comparison to some of the other hoysala temples. 

The Kesava Temple located at Somanathapura is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. The temple was built by Soma, a Dandanayaka (lit, "commander") in 1268 C.E. under Hoysala king Narasimha III, when the Hoysala Empire was the major power in South India.


The temple is housed inside an impressive high walled enclosure and the entrance to the complex is through a porch with tall lathe-turned pillars. The material used for the temple is soapstone (Green schist). 
The temple which is built on a jagati (platform) is a trikuta (triple shrine) and fully satisfies that terminology as all shrines (vimanas) have a superstructure (tower) that is intact.



Inside the temple, each vimana has a vestibule that connects it to the main rectangular mantapa (hall). Like the shrines, all three vestibules also have their own tower called the Sukanasi (or nose), though it is shorter and hence looks like a low extension of the main superstructure over the shrine.



The central mantapa has some spectacular carved and decorated ceilings.




Of the three shrines, one shrine has the image of the god Keshava. The other two shrines house images of Janardhana and Venugopala (all three images are forms of the Hindu god Vishnu).




There are some mini shrines located at the walls of the main mantapa.


The temple is housed inside an impressive high walled enclosure and the entrance to the complex is through a porch with tall lathe-turned pillars.


It is surrounded by walled enclosure on all sides. These have many miniature shrines (as much as 20). But all the idols of the shrines have been stolen or destroyed during invasions by Muslim rulers.


All the three shrines are 16 pointed stellate (star-shaped) in design and their towers follow the same pattern. Hence the whole structure looks like a rhythmic progression of well decorated projections and recesses (called architectural articulation).






(Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennakesava_Temple,_Somanathapura)

Somanathapura temple was really amazing and the architecture and the sculptures were simply mind blowing. Yet, this place is not known to many people. After appreciating the architectural beauty of the temple for about an hour, we headed to our next destination, Hosaholalu. 



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