Visited Date:
03rd October 2015 (Saturday)
How to reach Somanathapura:
It's 36 kms from my home. Started the journey at 8:40AM in the morning and reached the destination at 12:00PM as there was lot of confusion due to the one-ways in the Mysuru City towards Siddhartha Layout. Have two routes from Teressian College to the destination.
i. Mysuru => Siddhartha Layout => Horahalli => Bannur => SantheMala => Somanathapura.
ii. Mysuru => Siddhartha Layout => T. Narasipura => Somanathapura.
I chose the route (i) which is 36 kms from my home. Near the Siddhartha Layout signal take straight road. This road is Mysuru - Malavalli road (SH33) will go via Hora Halli, Bannur and then at SantheMala take right turn. From there it's 7 kms to reach Somanathapura. If you take right turn at the Siddhartha Layout signal, you will go to Somanathapura in route (ii).
If you encounter a mobile tower in the road means you reached the destination Somanathapura. At first glance, you recon ChennaKeshava temple as some ordinary park, when you get into the park, you will be able to view a marvel structure.
Few pictures from the site:
 |
| ಕೇಶವ |
 |
| ಜನಾರ್ಧನ |
 |
| ವೇಣು ಗೋಪಾಲ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ |
What is there to see :
Beautiful ChennaKeshava / Keshava temple with incredible carving by the Hoysala scupturers. In the Bird's eye view, you will be able to see the temple has star surface with three gophuras. The temple welcomes with huge circular pillars and magificient roof where 16 squares are there, which symbolies bud to bloom of banana flower (ಹೊಂಬಾಳೆ). The temple has three statue which is of Keshava (The original statue has been removed because of vandalism and replaced with another statue of Keshava). To the right of Keshava statue, we have the statue of Venu Gopala Swamy and to the left, we have Janardhana. The temple is covered by 119 vishnu poses on the walls.
History and heritage regarding Somanatha Pura:
This temple has a rich heritage, it's Hoysala Architecture. The temple is build around 1200AD after the Hoysalas (Ruling King - VishnuVardhana) conquered this land (Somanatha Pura @ 1117AD) from Cholas under the Dandanayaka (Care-taker) of this place,
Narashima III. Later this place was ruled by Vijayanagara dynasty and Mysuru wodeyar's dynasty. The temple construction completed on the year 1268AD as mentioned in the inscriptions in the temple. Mohammod Ghazi attacked Keshava temple twice in the year 1311AD and 1326AD progressively to loot and destroy the architecture of the temple. After his invasion for the first time, the renovation of the temple took place but he again attached, looted the things and destroyed the temple.
After this attacks, this place went unnoticed. So many idols and structures are damaged by the villagers and those who were grazing their cattles there. After the Indian Independence, the Wodeyar's dynasty took the initiative to renovate and avoid grazing and other illegal activities there. The idols here are not worshipped as the idols have been damaged. Now, keshava temple is under ASI (Archaeological Survey of India).
