Madhavaraya Temple, a 16th century Hindu temple in the Gandikota Fort of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh is dedicated to Krishna ("Madhava"). Also known as Madhava Perumal Temple or Madhavaraya Swamy Temple, it is a popular temple in the state.
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| Madhavaraya Temple,AP upload.wikimedia. |
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| Madhavaraya Temple,AP upload.wikimedia. |
Above image: Madhavaraya Temple, Andhra, Mandapa at the centre and courtyard with pillared cloister. image credit. Subodh Thapa........
A rectangular courtyard has pillared prkara all around. The pillared cloister runs along the other sides and the east side has an entrance. The design features of ornate pillars supporting the ceiling and the corbels (that support the weight of features like projecting balcony, overgang, etc) are suggestive of Vijayanagara design style.
Other architectural features observed are:
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| Madhavaraya Temple,AP. upload.wikimedia. |
The ornate platform (adhisthana) has carvings of creepers, flowers, lotus petals, elephants, warriors, vyalas, and other figures.
The projections of the lower portions of the adhisthana carry images of various deities. - Venugopala, Surya, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Ganapati, and Yoga Narasimha. A row of similar deities and that of Vishnu are noticeable in the vertical projections near the entrance.
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| Madhavaraya Temple,AP. upload.wikimedia. |
The shikara is missing, but the surviving gopura is layered. The usual Dwarapalakas (male door-keepers) are placed in the central passage of the gateway, warning the devotees to enter the sanctified inner part with mind focussed on the god. The ceiling has decorative motifs that need skill and patience.
The kitchen hall (in Tamil 'Madapalli') in the SW corner of the courtyard is well supported by stone pillars. Interesting features are provisions for ventilation through gaps in the ceiling, rolling and leaf corbels.The Dwarapalakas (female door-keepers) exhibit lotus. A mandapa with six pillars is located in front of the kitchen hall.
A wedding hall (kalyana-mandapa) in the SW corner of the courtyard has 16 ornamental pillars pillars is located in the south-west corner of the courtyard.
A Navagraha Hall, dedicated to nine planets, is also meant to to be used the festivities Its door way is also richly ornamental with motiff, etc. An oblong shrine is in the NE part with no images. It is likely, the images would have been Tamil Vaishnava saints Azhwars or Saptarishis.
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| Madhavaraya Temple,APcurlytales.com |
Above image: Madhavaraya Temple, Andhra. Note the overhang designed with gentle curvature........
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| Madhavaraya Temple,AP upload.wikimedia. |
Above image: Mandapa (hall) pillars with gopura in background, Madhavaraya Temple,Andhra. image credit. Subodh Thapa ..............
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| Madhavaraya Temple,AP www.instagram.com |
Above image: Madhavaraya Temple, AP, South India. Note the strange creatures like Yali hewn on to the hard stone. Caving such figures and others in had stones like granite, etc is a tough and precision job and it is not like cravings in marbles found in the later periods particularly during the Mogul time and later..........
The main temple at the centre has a pillared rectangular hall -maha-mandapa (large pavilion) with innumerable decorative features including vyala brackets with riders, playing instruments, etc while the upper parts display dancers suggesting its possible use to stage dances and music performances in honour of the deity.
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| Madhavaraya Temple,AP/ aravindgundumane.com |
Following maha mandapa from east to west: Mukha-mandapa (small pavilion), gently rectangular in plan and richly decorative as other halls are. . Its door way has dwarapalakas
Antarala (antechamber) has similar ornamentations and a garbhagriha - sanctum with missing deity.
This temple is a Monument of National Importance recognized by the Government of India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhavaraya_Temple,_Gandikota#:~:text=Madhavaraya
https://www.hindudevotionalblog.com/2015/04/madhavaraya-temple-gandikota-kadapa.html
https://thrillingtravel.in/gandikota-fort-canyon.html
https://templesofindia.org/temple-view/madhavaraya-temple-kadapa-andhra-pradesh-219ifz
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