Sri Lakshmi Ranganatha Swami Devalaya, Sokke

Dec 9, 2025
After a quick visit to Ishawara Devalaya, we walk back to Sri Lakshmi Ranganatha Swami Devalaya. These two historic temples of Sokke date back to Hoysala period, their original structures were assemblies of granite blocks. However, both temples have been renovated, the original blocks have been replaced with concrete structures. Apparently Ishwara Devalaya's deities Shivalinga and Nandi are original. The Hoysala period structural blocks like turned pillars, slabs and beams lie in a heap next to the temple but the temple's inscription slab has been planted with care at the entrance. In the Sri Lakshmi Ranganatha Devalaya the original deity has been replaced with a recently made deity but the structure seems original, probably dating back to Vijayanagara or Palegar times.

Before I delve into the temple matter let me tell how I got connected to Sokke, a name I'd not heard of prior to Dec 2024. A primary school time friend from Bhadravathi called Naveen Meda is a patron of this temple, a tradition which started around 1180 CE by his grandfather Sri M Y Puttanarasimha Setty of Meda (ಮೇಡಾ) family from Huliyar in Tumkur district. Since then members of Meda family have continued the patronage to Sokke Lakshmi Ranganatha Swami Devalaya.

In this picture the outer walls of the structure are clearly visible, they are dressed granite slabs seemingly from Vijayanagara / Palegar time. The priest and caretaker pose at the main entrance which faces east. The second entrance is on the side, facing north. To the north of this temple dedicated to Ranganatha Swami is a smaller structure dedicated to Lakshmidevi.

The temple was reconditioned in 2007, the highlights being- the original deity was replaced with deities of Ranganatha, Bhudevi & Sridevi; consecration of idols of Lakshmidevi, Mahaganapati and Nagadevata; the wooden Garuda Kambha was replaced with a granite pillar; a portico supported by concrete pillars was added. Here's a closeup of entrance; the slabs flanking the passage have murals of Dwarapalas, the door-keepers. The four-armed Dwarapalas have Vishnu's symbols- Shankha & Chakra -in their rear hands. The fore-hands feature Abhaya Hasta and hold Vishnu's weapon mace. Both Dwarapala have a Kirtimukha each.

To mark the renovation, two inscriptions slabs were embedded into the front wall.

Transcriptions of the two inscriptions:

||ಓಂ ಶ್ರೀ ಮಂಜುನಾಥಯ ನಮಃ||
ಸ್ವಸ್ಥಿ, ಶ್ರೀ ವಿಜಯಾಭ್ಯುದಯ ಶಾಲಿ ವಾಹನ ಶಕವರ್ಷ ೧೯೨೯ರ ಸರ್ವಜಿತ್ ಸಂವತ್ಸರ ಉತ್ತರಾಯಣ ವಸಂತಋತು ವೈಶಾಖಮಾಸ ಬಹುಳ ಸಪ್ತಮಿ ಕ್ರಿ.ಶ.೦೯-೦೫-೨೦೦೬ರ ಬುಧವಾರದಂದು ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ, ತರೀಕೆರೆ ತಾಲ್ಲೂಕು, ಸೊಕ್ಕೆ ಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಿಥಿಲಗೊಂಡಿದ್ದ ಶ್ರೀ ರಂಗನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ಹಾಗೂ ಶ್ರೀಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನವನ್ನು ಸಂರಕ್ಷಿಸುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಶ್ರೀ ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳ ಮಂಜುನಾಥೇಶ್ವರ ಧರ್ಮೋತ್ಥಾನ ಟ್ರಸ್ಟಿನ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾಗಿರುವ 'ರಾಜರ್ಷಿ ಡಾ|| ಡಿ.ವೀರೇಂದ್ರ ಹೆಗ್ಗಡೆಯವರು ಶ್ರೀ ರಂಗನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಶ್ರೀಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀ ದೇವಾಲಯದ ಜೀರ್ಣೋದ್ದಾರ ಸಮಿತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಭಕ್ತಾಧಿಗಳ ಸಹಕಾರದೊಂದಿಗೆ 'ರೂ ೫ ಲಕ್ಷಗಳ ವೆಚ್ಚದಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಶಲ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞರ ಮೂಲಕ ಜೀರ್ಣೋದ್ಧಾರ ಕಾರ್ಯವನ್ನು ನಡೆಸಿ, ದೇವತಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳು ಸಾಂಗೋಪಸಾಂಗವಾಗಿ ನಡೆಸಲೆಂದು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಸೇವಾ ಸಮಿತಿಯವರಿಗೆ ಈ ಮೂಲಕ ವಹಿಸಿಕೊಟ್ಟಾಗ ಬರೆದ ಶಿಲಾಶಾಸನಕ್ಕೆ ಮಂಗಳ ಮಹಾ. ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀ

The gist of the inscription on the first tablet is that Ranganatha Swami and Lakshmidevi temples which were in a dilapidated state were repaired with support from Dr. D Veerendra Hegde, president of Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Dharmothana Trust, Lakshmi Ranganatha Swami Devastana committee and temple devotees. An amount of ₹5L was spent for the repairs.

ಓಂ 
ಸೊಕ್ಕೆ ಶ್ರೀ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀರಂಗನಾಥಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ 
ಶ್ರೀರಂಗನಾಥಸ್ವಾಮಿ, ಶ್ರೀಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀದೇವಾಲಯ ಟ್ರಸ್ಟ್ (ರಿ), ಸೊಕ್ಕೆ, ಕಾರ್ಯಾಲಯ ಹುಳಿಯಾರು, ಹಾಗೂ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳ ಧಮೋತ್ಥಾನ ಟ್ರಸ್ಟ್ (ರಿ) ಇವರ ಸಹಯೋಗದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಜೀಣೋದ್ಧಾರಗೊಂಡ ಶ್ರೀಭೂದೇವಿ ಶ್ರೀದೇವಿ, ಶ್ರೀರಂಗನಾಥಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಶ್ರೀಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀದೇವಿ, ಶ್ರೀ ಮಹಾಗಣಪತಿ ಶ್ರೀ ನಾಗದೇವತಾ, ಈದೇವರುಗಳ ಪುನರ್ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪನೆ, ಮಹಾ ಕುಂಬಾಭಿಷೇಕ ಮಹೋತ್ಸವವು ದಿನಾಂಕ 09-05-2007ನೇ ಬುಧವಾರದಂದು ನೆರವೇರಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿತು.
ದಿವ್ಯ ಸಾನಿಧ್ಯ ಪರಮ ಪೂಜ್ಯ ಶ್ರೀಶ್ರೀಶ್ರೀ ವೀರೇಶಾನಂದ ಸರಸ್ವತಿಯವರು ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮಕೃಷ್ಣ ವಿವೇಕಾನಂದ ಆಶ್ರಮ, ತುಮಕೂರು, ಅವರ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆ 
ಶ್ರೀ ಎಂ.ವಿ.ಸೂರ್ಯನಾರಾಯಣ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠಿಯವರು, ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರು, ಕ, ಆ, ವೈ, ಮಹಾ ಸಭಾ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು.
ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರು ಸದಸ್ಯರು, ಸೊಕ್ಕೆ ಗ್ರಾಮಸ್ಥರು, ಭಕ್ತಾದಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಮೇದಾ ವಂಶಸ್ಥರು.
ದಿನಾಂಕ 09-05-2007 ಸೊಕ್ಕ

ವಿಶ್ವಕರ್ಮ ಆರ್ಟ್ಸ್, ಯಳನಡು

The second tablet states that Maha Kumbhabisheka was performed on Wednesday the 9th of May 2007 with the divine presence of Sri Sri Sri Veereshananda Saraswati of Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Tumakuru and Sri M V Suryanarayana Sreshti, people of Sokke, devotees & members of Meda family.

The temple saw another round of renovation in the past few years during which a Navagraha Mantapa was built; the courtyard was paved; and boundary walls, rooms & bathrooms were built. After the recent renovation the temple's ambiance improved significantly. It's my personal opinion that a temple should be clean, neat & tidy with a lot of greenery. When a person enters a temple premises the ambiance must have a calming effect. Trees like Neem, Bilva Patri, Banyan, Ashwatta, Parijata, etc. create such an ambiance. As an example, see Ramakrishna Ashram premises, they have nice gardens and a peaceful environment.

Opposite the main temple is Garuda Kambha, the pillar dedicated to Vishnu's mount Garuda. The pillar prior to this granite pillar was a wooden one which was termite infested. Next to the Garuda Kambha is a tiny temple dedicated to Nagadevata. Below is the collage of Garuda Kambha and Nagadevata shrine.

Now let's take a look at the temple interior. This is the Sabha Mantapa with a central pavilion bound by four pillars. These pillars' design has been carried down from Chalukyan times.

In this view the Antharala door is on the left hand side and on the right is the north-facing entrance. Also, in the foreground is the deity's swing. It's a tradition in Vishnu temples to place the deity in a swing and perform rituals.

On one the pillars are relief sculptures of Garuda and Hanuman.

A few other sculptures caught my attention but I'm sharing just two here- Krishna slaying Kaliya, and cow nursing a calf. 

This is the Ranga-Mantapa ceiling. This design too is age old, can be seen in some of the ancient Chalukyan temples. Here temple caretakers have taken the trouble of having the ceiling painted.

The temple has a vestibule between its Ranga-Mantapa and Garbhagudi. Flanking the Garbhagudi entrance is a pair of Kirtimukha. The purpose of having Kirtimukha is to ward of evil energy. Ranganatha's idol in the Garbhagudi is under a thick layer of flowers.

The present idol has replaced the idol installed in year 2007.

Here's the idol sans decoration. The standing four-armed Ranganatha has Shankha & Chakra, a mace and the right forehand gesture if Abhayahasta symbolizing protection, reassurance and peace.

Sokke Ranganatha covered in silver ornaments from head to toes.

This is Lakshmidevi's temple, structure is ancient, seems very much of the same period as the main temple.

This temple has two chambers- Mukha-mantapa and Garbhagruha. In the sanctum is the idol of Lakshmi and just outside the sanctum entrance is Maha-Ganapati.

Here's a similar series of pictures- decorated with flowers, idols sans decoration and covered in silver ornaments.

Lastly, here are two aerial views of the temple premises shot just before sunset. You can see a faint patch of sunlight in front of Lakshmidevi shrine. 

At the northeastern corner of the premises stands a small structure which will soon be established as Navagraha Mantapa, the shrine of nine celestial deities- Surya, Chandra, Mangal, Budha, Brihaspati, Shukra, Shani, Rahu and Ketu. These deities influence destiny, health, and fortune hence worshipped.

I wanted to shoot a few shots in early morning light but didn't get the opportunity because we had planned an early morning trip to Ranganatha Devalaya on Hanne Gudda which is about 7 km from Sokke. Yes, that hill sitting on the horizon is Hanne Gudda.

On Hanne Gudda is a temple dedicated to Ranganatha Swami and that temple is believed to the origin of Sokke Ranganatha Swamy.

In the following post I'll share my experience at Hanne Gudda.

.........

Ishwara Devalaya, Sokke

Nov 2024
Over a phone call, my primary school friend Naveen Meda conveyed his thought of documenting his family-supported temple at Sokke. Members of Meda family have been financially supporting the Sri Lakshmi Ranganatha Swamy Devalaya at Sokke. Naveen's thought of me visiting the temple and then posting about it was okay with me. We were planning a mid Dec visit but ongoing renovation work was incomplete then. So we put the plan on hold. Naveen would let me know when work was done.

Dec 2025
Naveen called; work at the temple was done. Before I decided the dates, a team of three from Sokke wanted to come to Dharwad. The team had got in touch with Helavara Bhimappa residing at Dombrikoppa, about 16 km from Dharwad. Helevaru is a kind of profession, an ancient one. For ages helavaru have been travelling far and wide, recording genealogical data of prominent families  of villages and towns. When any such family wanted their ancestral information, helavaru was one to look for. Besides family trees, related information would might have been recorded in some cases.

The team- Sri Rajanna, his son Sri Vinay & nephew Sri Mohan arrived at Dharwad. We drove to a place called Ambalikoppa and then to Dombarikoppa. For the first time I met a helavara and got to see a few of his books. Those books have been passed down from his forefathers. I was awe at the fact that our society's ancient customs / practices have survived even in the digital age. Truly amazing. Bhimappa is into agriculture for livelihood, and dons the helavaru turban during off-season. I wish Bhimappa prepares his descendants to keep the profession alive, likewise for other helavaru folks.

Bhimappa showed the pages dedicated to Rajanna's family. The family tree began in 1519 CE when Basangoudar broke off from his family in Sokke - this is the original Sokke, in Jagalur taluq. Back then when a family split, it's as good as the village splitting. So with Basangoudar, his supporters followed him followed him and eventually settled in a place and called it Sokke. This Sokke is in the present day Ajjampura taluq. Interesting, isn't it?

Having got the required info, the trio traveled back and I finalized my visit to Sokke.

Dec 9, 2025

I alighted Siddaganga Express at Ajjampura railway station, met Rajanna on the platform, and we drove to Sokke. We had breakfast at Rajanna's home and walked to Lakshmi Ranganatha Devalaya. After a quick visit of the temple, we were chatting about Sokke history. That's when Rajanna suggested that we see Ishwara Gudi which is just 100m away.

This Ishwara Devalaya is an ancient one, it's history dating back to Hoysala times. The temple structure was renovated recently by removing the older stone parts and erecting a brick-mortar structure. Thanks to the people for having given the temple's inscription slab a proper place.

The inscription is pretty well preserved. On studying it closely, the time immemorable image (Shiva Linga, Nandi, Sun & Moon) at the top seems incomplete. Also there's blank space at the bottom, it seems work on this slab stopped abruptly.

This east-facing temple is situated at the eastern edge of the town. Beyond this site are farmlands. 

Shivalinga in the Garbhagudi. On the left are smaller idols of Shivalinga and Nandi, probably they were originally placed in the Sabha Mantapa. In the original design, Sabha Mantapa / Ranga Mantapa would have a central space marked by a four pillars. During renovation the central Mantapa was eliminated and an open hall was made.

Nandi in the Sabha Mantapa facing Shivalinga in the Garbhagudi.

Parts of the original structure which seem like they were made during Hoysala period. One of the village folks said that the temple could've been reconditioned with the original parts had they contacted Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Dharmothana Trust. SDMDT is an expert in restoring ancient temples and monuments. Working along with the state government SDMDT with financial support from Karnataka state government has restored hundreds of ancient monuments in Karnataka.

Such an invaluable heap. Will the present generation youth even get to know the value of ancient structures.

Besides the ancient inscription of this temple, historical information related to Sokke has been painted on the southern wall. Thanks to whoever is behind this idea.

Below is the transcription of the writeup. The writeup lacks proper punctuation, probably the painter screwed up. I tried to fix punctuation errors but then felt some words are out of place. I've left the words as it, some lines may not make sense, but you catch the gist of it.

ತಲೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಸುಂದರವಾದ ಚಂದ್ರನನ್ನು ಚಾಮರದಂತೆ ಗಂಗೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊತ್ತಿರುವ ದೇವಲೋಕ, ಭೂಲೋಕ ಪಾತಾಳ ಲೋಕ, ಈ ಮೂರು ಲೋಕಗಳಿಗೆ ಆಧಾರ ಕಂಭವಾಗಿರುವ ಶಂಭುವಿಗೆ ಶಿವನಿಗೆ ನಮಿಸುವೆ.

ಸಮಸ್ತ ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಆಶ್ರಯದಾತರಾದ ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಒಡೆಯರಾದ ರಾಜರಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹಾರಾಜರಾದ ಪರಮೇಶ್ವರನಂತಿರುವ ಸತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಆಶ್ರಯದಾತರಾದ ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯ ವಂಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ ತ್ರಿಭುವನ ಮಲ್ಲದೇವ ಸಮಸ್ತ ರಾಜ್ಯವನ್ನು ಆಳುವಾಗ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ನೆಲ-ಜಲ ಸಂಪತ್ತಿಗೆ ನೆಲೆಯಾದ ಜಿಂಬುದ್ವೀಪದ ದಕ್ಷಿಣದಲ್ಲಿದೆ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಭರತದೇಶ, ಇದರಲ್ಲಿದೆ ಕುಂತಳನಾಡು, ಇದರಲ್ಲಿದೆ ಕುಂತಲನಾಡು, ಇದರಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಹಿರಿದಾದ ಗಂಗವಾಡಿನಾಡು ಬಹು ವಿಧದ ಧಾನ್ಯ ಸಂಪತ್ತಿನಿಂದ ಶೋಭಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಈ ಕೀರ್ತಿಯುಳ್ಳ ಕುಂತಳನಾಡನ್ನು ಆಳುವವನು ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ ಉದಯಾದಿತ್ಯ. ಅತಿಬಲರಾದ ದುರುಳ ವೈರಿ ರಾಜರ ತಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಂಡು ಶರಣಾದ ಆರ್ತರಿಗೆ ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿ ಸುಭಿಕ್ಷೆಯಿಂದ ನಾಡನ್ನು ಆಳಿದವನು ವಿನಯಾದಿತ್ಯ ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ. ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯ ರಾಜರಿಗೆ ನಿಷ್ಠರಾದ ಈ ವಿನಯಾದಿತ್ಯ. ದಂಪತಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಶಿವಪಾವರ್ತಿಯರಿಗೆ ಕಾರ್ತಿಕೇಯ (ಸುಬ್ರಮಣ್ಯ) ಹುಟ್ಟಿದಂತೆ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ನೆಲೆಯಾದ ಎರೆಯಂಗ ಹುಟ್ಟದ ಸಕಲಗುಣವಂತೆ ದಾನಶೀಲೆಯಾದ ಏಚಲಾದೇವಿ ಎರೆಯಂಗ ದಂಪತಿಯರಿಗೆ ಮೂವರು ಮಕ್ಕಳು- ಬಲ್ಲಾಳ, ವಿಷ್ಣುವರ್ಧನ, ವಿನಿಯಾದಿತ್ಯ. ಇವರಲ್ಲಿ ದಕ್ಷನಾದ ವಿಷ್ಣುವರ್ಧನ ರಾಜ್ಯಭಾರ ವಹಿಸಿದ. ಶೌರ್ಯದಿಂದ, ದಕ್ಷತೆಯಿಂದ ನಾಡನ್ನು ನಾಡವರನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿದ. ಈತನ ಪತ್ನಿ ಅನುಪಮ ರೂಪವಂತ ಗುಣವಂತೆ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀದೇವಿಗೆ ಜನಿಸಿದವನು ವೀರನರಸಿಂಹ. 

ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯ ರಾಜರಿಗೆ ಆಪ್ತನಾದ ಈತ, ಮದದಿಂದ ಏರಿಬಂದ ವೈರಿ ರಾಜರ ಮದವಡಗಿಸಿ, ಶರಣು ಬಂದವರಿಗೆ ರಕ್ಷಿಸಿ ರಣರಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ತ್ರಿನೇತ್ರದಂತೆ ಮೇರೆದ ವೀರ. ಈತನ ಆಶ್ರಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದ್ರನ ಅಮರಾವತಿಯಂತೆ ಇರುವ ಸುಂದರ ರಾಜಮಂದಿರಗಳಿಂದ, ಗಿಡ ಮರ ಬಳ್ಳಿಗಳ ಸುಂದರ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯಿಂದ, ತುಂಬಿರುವ ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ತಿಲಕದಂತಿರುವ ಸೊಕ್ಕೆಯಾಪುರದ ಆಡಳಿತವನ್ನು ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರುವನು ಚಂದ್ರಮೌಳಿ ದಂಡನಾಯಕ. ಊರ ಸುತ್ತಲು ಇರುವ ರಸಭರಿತ ಮಾವು ಮುಂತಾದ ಹಣ್ಣುಗಳಿಂದ ಸುಗಂಧವುಳ್ಳ ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೂಬಳ್ಳಿಗಳಿಂದ, ಕಬ್ಬಿನ ತೋಟಗಳಿಂದ ರಸ ಫಲಗಳಿಂದ, ಸುಗಂಧ ಸಾಲಿ ಭತ್ತದ ಗದ್ದೆಗಳಿಂದ ತೆಂಗು-ಅಡಿಕೆ ಮುಂತಾದ ಮರಗಳಿಂದ ಎಲೆಬಳ್ಳಿಗಳಿಂದ ಸುಂದರವಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ಊರು ಕಾಮನ (ಮದನನ) ಮಂತ್ರ ದೇವತೆಯಂತೆ, ಸುಂದರವಾಗಿರುವ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಜನರಿಂದ ಧೈರ್ಯಶಾಲಿ ವೀರ ಪುರುಷರಿಂದ, ವಿದ್ವತ್ ಸಂಪತ್ತಿನ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರಿಂದ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರೀ ಜನಸಮೂಹದಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿದ ಚಲುವಾದ ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಒಪ್ಪುವಂತಿದೆ ಸೊಕ್ಕೆಯಾಪುರ,

ಊರ ಸುತ್ತಲೂ ಇರುವ ಕೋಟೆ ಗೋಡೆಗಳಿಂದ ಮುತ್ತಿನ ತೋರಣಗಳ ಅಲಂಕಾರದಿಂದ, ವಾರವಿಲಾಸಿನಿ ಜನಗಳ ಗ್ರಹಗಳಿಂದ. ಬಹುಮಹಡಿ ಕಟ್ಟಡಗಳಿಂದ ರಾಜಮಂದಿರಗಳಿಂದ ಸುಂದರವಾಗಿ ಕಂಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಇದು ದೇವಲೋಕವನ್ನು ಮೀರಿಸುವಂತಿದೆ. ವಿವಿಧ ಮತ-ಪಂಥಗಳ ಮಂದಿರಗಳಿಂದ ಬಹುಮಹಡಿ ಕಟ್ಟಡಗಳಲ್ಲಿನ ಸುಂದರ ತರುಣಿಯರಿಂದ ವಿವಿಧ ಅಲಂಕಾರಗಳಿಂದ ಅತಿಭವ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದೆ ಈ ಸೊಕ್ಕೆಯಾಪುರ.

ಗ್ರಂಥ ನೆರವು ಶಿವ ಶೋಧ H.M.ನಾಗರಾಜ್ ರಾವ್ 
ಕನ್ನಡ ಅನುವಾದಕ್ಕೆ ನೆರೆವಾದವರು ಡಿ ಇಸ್ಮಾಯಿಲ್, ಬಿರುರ್

The first paragraph praises Shiva calling him the lord of three worlds- Devaloka, Bhuloka and Patalaloka. This is a traditional way of seeking Shiva's blessing before commencing any work.

The second para states that the Chalukyan descendant Tribhuvanamalla as the supreme leader of the Kuntnala Nadu in the southern part of Bharatadesha in Jambudwipa. Within this Kuntalanaduis the rich and prosperous Gangavadi Nadu. The ruler of this famous Kuntalanadu is the brave Hoysala  king Udayaditya. The gracious king's queen Echaladevi bore him three sons- Ballala, Vishnuvardhana and Viniyaditya. Of the three sons, Vishnuvardhana ascended the throne and continued the Hoysala legacy. Vishnuvardhana was succeeded by his son Veeranarasimha.

The third para colorfully describes Hoysala kingdom comparing it to Lord of Devaloka Indra's Amaravati. Sokkepura was a city of Hoysala kingdom, it flourished under the administration of Dhandanayaka Chandramouli. Sokkepura people were brave, beautiful, intelligent and prosperous.

The last para says that Sokkepura was a fortified town with many temples and multistoried houses. People of different castes resided peacefully in this town. The town was like Devaloka.

Well, that's a rather colorful description. Present day Sokke is a small village, to my knowledge there are three temples and no sign of a fort having existed here. The writeup mentions coconut, betelnut and mango plantations which is a reality today. Whoever composed it has mixed present period with the past period. The history of Sokke is yet to be uncovered properly, at least to me it's blurred.

We head back to Ranganatha Devalaya to take a few pictures of the interior. The temple priest and a helper had cleared cleared out unnecessary things stored in the temple. Now it looked tidy. That's when I noticed the four pillars of Rangamantapa. The design was Vijayanagara style. That confirms the time period of the structure and Sokke too.

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