Avani, Kolar

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Avani, Kolar

Avani is a small village in Mulbagal taluk, Kolar district in Karnataka, India, about ten miles from Kolar Gold Fields. The village is located at 32 km from Kolar, the district centre and 32 km 13 km from Mulbagal, the Taluk headquarters. It is a popular location for rock climbing.

I set out to Avani on a Sunday evening along with my wife Akshatha and her cousin Sid. We left Bangalore around 4:30 P. M in the evening. We reached Avani around 5:40. Roads were very good upto Mulbagal. From Mulbagal roads were very shabby till Avani which is about 6 kms.

Location: Avani Temple

Avani is known for the Sita temple situated on a hill. This temple is one of the few temples dedicated to Sitadevi in India. There is a belief that the sage Valmiki, the author of the epic Ramayana, was residing here during the period of Ramayana. Sitadevi lived here in his ashram while in exile. Sitadevi gave birth to her twin children Lava-Kusha here. Even today the room where Sita gave birth to her children exists. The war between Sri Rama and his sons Lava and Kusha happened in this village.
Avani is also known as the Gaya of the south and has ancient temples known as the Ramalingeshwara, Lakshmaneshwara, Bharateshwara and Shatrugneshwara, dating back to the period of the Nolamba Dynasty.

First we visited the Ramalingeshwara group of temples. The Ramalingeshwara group of temples, situated in Avani town of the Kolar district, Karnataka state, India, is constructed in the dravida style. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the temple is an ornate 10th-century Nolamba dynasty construction which was partially renovated later by the Chola dynasty. The temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as a monument of national importance. Avani is a place of great antiquity. According to the ASI, an inscription here dated 399 A.D. refers to it. Later inscriptions call it the "Gaya of the south".

The temple complex comprises four major shrines, one each for Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. There are other minor shrines, such as those for Vali and Sugriva. The Ramalingeshwara temple (or "Rameshvara") consists of a sanctum (garbhagriha), a vestibule (antarala) and a hall (navaranga) with decorative pillars. The base (adhishthana) of the temple comprises moldings articulated with Kirtimukha and lions in relief. The outer walls have pilasters surmounted by dravida towers (shikhara).







Next we set out for climbing the Luv-Kush betta. There are about 350 steps to climb. There are no hotels nearby. Therefore, it is highly advisable to carry water before starting from the base of the hill. 








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