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| chennakesava-temple-Belur, KA commons.wikimedia.org |
Narasimha Pillar, Chennakesava temple, Belur:
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| ornate pillars chennakesava-temple-Belur, KA yatrikaone.com |
Above image: Narasimha ornate pillar, Chennakesava temple, Belur, Karnataka;. 2th-century carved pillar inside the temple You can notice the minute reliefs and and fine carving.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Chennakesava Temple of Belur, Karnataka is a classical example Hoysala temple architecture that departs from the basic of Dravida style prevalent in other southern parts of India. It is a haven for architects, artists and photographers. Among the various features in the temple like sculptures, relief work, ornamentation on the ceiling, etc. this post is about the mesmerizing stone pillars in the temple. In .the interior of the temple, the visitors step into a new world of architectural grandeur in the form of pillars and sculptures. These pillars carry the stamp of rich Hoysala designs that may stagger you imagination. Poetry in stone, this temple is a standing monument of the opulence of Hoysala rulers and their imaginative artisans..
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| .Cenral square of the hall. chennakesava-temple-Belur, KAvoyage361.com |
Above image: ornate pillars in the central part of navagraha hall (mantap). each pillar has different ornamentation; no repetition. .ome of the other pillars beautifully designed, the second pillar here is the central pillar of the Navaranga...............................
Originally known as Vijayanarayana Temple it is on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur, Hassan district, Karnataka. Belur is located 40 km from Hassan city. The Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana had this temple built to commemorate his dynasty's victory over the mighty Cholas in the battle of Talakad. |
| .location map. Belur, Karnataka. indiatvnews.com |
There are about 50 intricately decorated stone pillars inside the temple and they are made of soapstone, a soft kind of rock. Four pillars are centrally located and 38 outside. Each of 42 pillars has a bracket figure of Celestial damsels (Shilabalika). The pillars are lathe-turned with distinct patterns and other details were carved on them. Among them, the Narasimha pillar and the Mohini pillar are most attractive and worth mentioning. The capital of the former is in stellate shape and the latter is noted for the single life-size image of a sensual nymph. The pillar also has the image of Narasimha (an avatar of Vishnu) on the Pillar. The other one has the image of Mohini (female avatar of God Vishnu).
Narasimha Pillar, though look like a circular pillar, in reality, it is polygonal in shape and each face carries the carved images and other details. It is a tall one with a height of about 30 feet.
It is often mentioned by the visitors that this pillar inside the dark part of the mantap was designed in such a way it was once capable of rotating on its axis without any hitch. Once the visitors were able to rotate the pillar above the circular end. The moot question is why was this pillar made rotatable?. Had it anything to do with prayer or any temple ritual? Was it carefully made to establish the expertise and mastery of Hoysala sculptors in the area of detailed stone carvings with arresting geometric patterns? Unfortunately, for various reasons rotation mechanism doesn’t work any more; perhaps it may be due to time factor or irregular handling of the pillar in the past. (The rotating mechanism –had ball-bearings at the bottom and top to enable it to rotate about its own axis). It is also mentioned that the mechanism stopped working after the Vimana and shikara were damaged.
None of the historical Indian temples of past era have this kind of stone pillar with built-in mechanism to rotate on its axis. As most pillars are identical, to locate this particular Narashimha pillar, a big donation box (Undi) of the temple is kept near-by.
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| Narasimha pillar, Chennakesava temple, Belur.voyage361.com |
Above image: Richly carved Narsimha pillars with minute figures all round from the top to the bottom. Quite amazing is a tiny bull (Kadali-basava) as small as a seed is carved with care . A small space on the south face of the pillar is believed to have been left blank on purpose by the sculptor to be filled up with the figure of a god later. What made the artist to design a stone pillar with a turning mechanism is a riddle that needs acceptable answer...............................
The circular end of the pillar rests on a pedestal at the bottom and above the circular end, there is a rectangular base. Above it the pillar becomes circular again. This circular space has six horizontal layers, each having several miniature shrines carved into it.
The pillar gradually gently tapers above the horizontal layers ending up with two disc-like features and a wide disc Atop the disc rests an inverted cone with a polygonal slab which is overlain by the capital of the pillar.
The base of the pillars has nice reliefs and the depiction includes mythological episodes such as Samudra Manthana, Lanka king Ravana shaking Mount Kailash, (abode of God Shiva),etc.
http://www.voyage361.com/2013/01/interiors-chennakeshava-temple-belur.htmlhttps://tapioca.co.in/narasimha-pillar-of-belur
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The Mohini pillar. Chennakesava temple, Belur:
Mohini image on pillar, Chennakesava temple.in.pinterest.com
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| Mohini pillar, Chennakesava temple, Belur. KA.dreamstime.com |
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| Mohini pillar, Chennakesava temple, Belur.en.wikipedia.org |
It is one among a few temples where the female form of Sri Vishnu -Mohini is meticulously carved on the pillar Though the pillar is called the Mohini Pillar, it also has other avatars of Sri Vishnu, besides Brahma, Shiva, etc. the eight direction deities (Ashta dhikku Devita), mythical animals with the body of a lion ,etc. The Mohini image is carved into a locally available black stone. The pillar is close to the dance floo inside the Navaranga hall (mantap)..Impressively executed Mohini pillar in the navaranga has sixteen pointed star plan vertically. It is decorated with a narrow band of filigree work.
A bit of mythology - Legend has it during the churning of the Ocean of Milk (Samudra Manthana) to get Amrita, the nectar of immortality by the Asuras on one side and Devas (Demi-Gods) on the other side, Mohini (female form of Sri Vishnu) appeared as a by-product. The giant serpent Vasuki was used as a large rope and Mt. Meru was used for churning. At the final phase Asuras cleverly stole the Amrita. Disappointed Devas were concerned about the safety of the world as Amrita fell into the hands of trecherous Asuras. To retrieve the nectar of immortality Vishnu took the form of a beautiful woman enticed Asuras and cleverly got back the pot of amrita for the Devas.
The carved image of Mohini on the pillar is quite fascinating. This feat was done roughly 900 years ago. The bejeweled Mohini is artistically carved on the pillar - correctly proportioned slim body with a graceful stance and cool look. The image has a crown and also a waist band (udiyana), anklets and armbands. The wearing of the yajnopavita (sacred thread) suggests that Mohini is indeed an avatar of God Vishnu.
https://yatrikaone.com/belur-chennakeshava-temple-navaranga-mohini-pillar/
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