Kalleshwara Devastana, Araluguppe

...continued from Chennakesava Devastana, Aralaguppe.

Jan 27, 2023. The historical tour of the day started early at Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha Devastana, Vignasante, a Hoysala creation. Then I drove to Turuvekere where I saw three temples: 1. Gangadhareshwara, 2. Moole Shankareshwara and 3. Chennakeshava. After the 3-temple tour, I took a break for breakfast and then drove to Aralaguppe. Finding the route to Aralaguppe was like a treasure hunt. After spending about 45 minutes at Chennakesava Devastana I came to the last item of the day- Kalleshwara Devastana which is situated on the edge of the village, touching the village lake.

Not much information is available about this place. I was expecting to see a temple like Chennakesava but this is a group of temples, and all the temples are painted. So it's like this- one of the temples would be Kalleshwara and the others dedicated to other deities. According to an online source, the architecture of Kalleshwara group temple is Ganga-Nolamba style of IX century CE. In the ceiling of the main temple i.e. Kalleshwara, there is a sculpture of dancing Shiva accompanied by musicians and eight Dikpalas.

I stood here for a minute wondering where to start in this maze of temples. Here are about 11 individual shrines, all tightly packed together. Of the 11 temples, I think 7 are east-facing, 2 are west-facing, 1 north and 1 south. The interesting part is that 4 of these temples face a common space, i.e. they are positioned like a plus sign, each one facing east, west, south and north. At their center is Nandi facing Kalleshwara.

The structures are pretty simple, design is straightforward. I think behind the paint, its all stone. How I wish these structures were left in their original condition i.e. the raw stone finish look.

This structure is a real beauty, simple & elegant. The door frame, though made of plain columns and beams, has a classy look. On the right hand side is the rear portion of another temple, a temple which is part of the four temples facing each other.

This is the central space formed by four temples which is occupied by Nandi Mantapa. Nandi is facing his master Kalleshwara in the form of a Linga. I think daily rituals take place here, probably once in the morning. However, right now all shrine doors were closed & locked. These four temples in a way are a Chturkuta, a temple with four sanctums. However since each of these have individual foundations, this may not qualify as a Chaturkuta.

Another online source mentioned that these temples were Chalukyan. As I know, Chalukyan Nandi have much more ornate jewelry. Also the columns seen here are not typically Chalukyan.

Frontal look of Nandishwara. This is natural position of bulls when they are resting. And Nandi's head is turned slightly to its left so that its left eye sees Shivalinga.

The elaborate door frame of the temple. This is another item which helps in differentiating Chalukyan designs from Ganga-Nolamba. Chalukyan doorframes are 3, 5 or 7-tiered. Unfortunately I could not see the interior, I'll move on to other temples.

The wall on the left belongs to Kalleshwara Devastana. The window has a very ornate stone grill with a frame. I missed taking a picture of it. The opposite wall too has a similar window.

This temple is right next to Kalleshwara, an east-facing temple.

Wish local people had planted boards naming each of the temple here.

Two smaller shrines. This doorframe is similar to the one seen earlier. I think the inner door connects directly to the Garbhagudi. With this I have covered the group except the interiors.

Lastly, a glance at the small collection of memorial stones and Naga-Shilpa. I think there were five memorial stones, two of them Kannada inscriptions. The rest are Naga stones.

These slabs were made in memory for warriors who were martyred in a battle protecting the place. Of the five memorial stones, two seem to be much older than the other three.

Despite an incomplete tour, I was happy to see that conditions of these temples. It seems people of Aralaguppe have strived to preserve & protect their heritage. Hoping this dedication continues with the younger generation.

Before leaving the place I rest for a minute under this mantapa. This place is so convenient for resting or picnic. Wish visitors carry away their used plates and not litter. Most people are insensitive, they lack the sense to think of the next group visiting here. Our prime minister Narendra Modi is trying to educate masses a sense of cleanliness through Swachh Bharath campaign, now its upto the people to cultivate good habits.

Done with seeing Aralaguppe, I head back to Tiptur-Tumkur highway with two options ahead of me- return to Dharwad or to meet my friend Sridhar at Bhogasandra and spend the night there. On reaching the highway, I talk to Pushpa who was okay with the second option. So, I head towards Bhogasandra, a village in the coconut-arecanut belt of Tumkur district.

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