Eshwara temples of Umapur

October 4, 2014

Srinu and I had little trouble finding the junction to Umapur on Hyderabad-Pune highway. 9 kms fom from BasavaKalyan cross is Umapur cross on the right, we missed it and overshot. Realizing our mistake we turned back and found it. Umapur village (temples) is about 1.6 kms from the highway.  Umapur is also known as Laheshwar. The temple premises has two temples, a Kalyani, an open air shrine for Ganesha and a tree with two trunks.

These temples were built during the rule of Vikramaditya VI who was coronetted in 1076. Vikramaditya VI was the second son of King Someshwara I. Both temples are east facing having tapering Shikhara and Mukhamantapa. Mahadeva temple has 3 entrances to its Sabhamantapa while the second has only one entrance. Both temples' Sabhamantapa have undergone restoration work.

Mahadeva temple

The following description has been sourced from BasavaKalyan City Municipal Council website:
ಉಮಾಪೂರ (ಲಾಹೇಶ್ವರ) ದೇವಾಲಯ: ಎರಡು ಜೋಡು ದೇವಾಲಯಗಳ ಅದ್ಭುತ ಕಟ್ಟಡದ ಮಾದರಿ ಪ್ರವಾಸಿಗರಿಗೆ ಕಾಣಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಒಂದನೆ ಸೋಮೇಶ್ವರನ ಎರಡನೇ ಮಗನಾದ ೬ನೇ ವಿಕ್ರಮಾದಿತ್ಯನು. ೧೦೭೬ರಲ್ಲಿ ಪಟ್ಟಾಭಿಷಕ್ತನಾದ ಅವನ ಅವಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯುನ್ನತ ವಾಸ್ತು ಶಿಲ್ಪ ದೇವಾಲಯಗಳು ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಗೊಂಡವು. ಅವೇ ಉಮಾ ಮಹೇಶ್ವರ ದೇವಾಲಯಗಳು. ಮಹಾದೇವ ದೇವಾಲಯದ ಮುಖ ಪೂರ್ವ ದಿಕ್ಕಿನೆಡೆಗೆ ಇದೆ. ಮುಂಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ದೀಪಸ್ಥಂಭವಿದ್ದು ದೇವಾಲಯದ ಗರ್ಭಗೃಹ ಚೌಕಾಕಾರದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ದೇವಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಿವಲಿಂಗವನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ರತ್ನ ಪಟ್ಟಿಕೆಗಳಿಂದ ಗರ್ಭಗೃಹದ ದ್ದಾರವನ್ನು ಅಲಂಕರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ದ್ವಾರ ಬಾಗಿಲದ ಅಕ್ಕ ಪಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಆರುವರೆ ಅಡಿ ಎತ್ತರದ ಎರಡುವರೆ ಅಡಿ ಅಗಲದ ಶೈವ ದ್ವಾರಪಾಲಕರ ಭವ್ಯ ವಿಗ್ರಹಗಳು ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಮುಂದೆ ಮೂರು ಮುಖ ಮಂಟಪಗಳಿದ್ದು ತೆರೆದ ಬಾಗಿಲುಗಳಿವೆ. ಸುಂದರ ಕೆತ್ತನೆಯ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಕಂಬಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಸಭಾ ಮಂಟಪವಿದೆ. ಸಭಾಮಂಟಪದ ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಗರ್ಭಗೃಹಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಖಮಾಡಿ ಒಂದು ನಂದಿ ಮೂರ್ತಿಯುಂಟು. ಸಭಾಮಂಟಪದ ಸುತ್ತಲು ರಕ್ಷಾಸನವಿದ್ದು ಸುಂದರ ಕೆತ್ತನೆಯ ಅಲಂಕಾರಗಳು ಹೊಂದಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಇವು ವಿವಿಧ ಭಂಗಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು ನಗ್ನ ನರ್ತನ, ಢಮರುಗ ನರ್ತನೆ, ವೀಣಾವಾದನ, ಮೃದಂಗ ಇಂತಹ ಭಾವ ಭಂಗಿಗಳು ಮನ ಮೋಹಕವಾಗಿವೆ.

This is the interior of Mahadeva temple. The Garbhagudi entrance is flanked by two Dwarapalaka.

Inside the sanctum is a Shiva Linga and opposite it in the Sabhamantapa is a Basvanna.

This chubby looking Basava is a young bull.

One of the temples has a fish and a tortoise in its entrance. The fish is well created, seems to be swift swimmer.

On the exterior walls of one of the temples is a sculpture of Uma-Maheshwara riding Nandi. This sculpture reminds me of Somanatha Gudi of Laxmeshwar where the main deity is similar but larger and made of black granite.

A very angular four armed dancing Eshwara (left) and a hero-stone (right) a type usually found in the southern parts of Karnataka.

A 10' Ganesha. The color is not some synthetic paint. It's a thick paste prepared by hand and used on images of gods.

A Kalyani with fresh water, it must be deep.

Close to the Ganesha is a ficus tree with two trunks... I can see three.

This Shiva Linga worshipping character must be Arjuna. I'm guessing that because of the presence of a bow and a quiver.

A stone's throw from the temples is an ancient tower, its built with different type of stone blocks. Perhaps Umapur had a small garrison or something.

Srinu and I had packed home-made chapati rolls for lunch and got ready to move towards Basava Kalyana.

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