ಶಿವಶರಣರ ಐಕ್ಯಸ್ಥಳಗಳ ನಕ್ಷೆ

ಶಿವಶರಣರ ತತ್ವ - ಶಿವನಿಗೆ ಶರಣಾಗತಿ, ಆಂತರಿಕ-ಪರಿಶುದ್ಧತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸರಳ ಜೀವನ.

ಡೋಹರ ಕಕ್ಕಯ್ಯ, ಗಂಗಾಂಬಿಕೆ | ಬಸವೇಶ್ವರ | ಚನ್ನಬಸವೇಶ್ವರ, ನೀಲಾಂಬಿಕೆ 

ಅಕ್ಕ ಮಹಾದೇವಿ, ಅಲ್ಲಮ ಪ್ರಭು ಮತ್ತು ಬಸವಣ್ಣರಂತಹ ಪ್ರಖ್ಯಾತ ಶಿವಶರಣರು ನಡೆಸಿದ ಹನ್ನೆರಡನೆಯ ಶತಮಾನದ ಶಿವಶರಣ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯು ವಚನ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದ ಮೂಲಕ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಸಮಾನತೆ, ಜಾತಿರಹಿತ ಸಮಾಜ ಮತ್ತು ಭಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಸಾಧಿಸುವ ಗುರಿಯನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿತ್ತು. ವಚನಗಳು ಶಿವಶರಣರು ರಚಿಸಿದ ಸರಳ ಭಾಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆಳವಾದ ಸಂದೇಶವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಕಾವ್ಯಗಳಾಗಿವೆ. ಶಿವಶರಣ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯ ಕೇಂದ್ರಬಿಂದು ಬಿಜ್ಜಳನ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ರಾಜಧಾನಿ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ, ಇಂದಿನ ಬೀದರ್ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಬಸವ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ. 

ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯೂ ಪ್ರತಿರೋಧವನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಶಿವಶರಣರು ಸಹ ಪ್ರಬಲ ಮೇಲ್ಜಾತಿಯ ನಾಯಕರ ಕೋಪವನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸಬೇಕಾಯಿತು, ಇದು ಅಂತಿಮವಾಗಿ ರಾಜನು ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ತಿರುಗಲು ಕಾರಣವಾಯಿತು. ಬಿಜ್ಜಳನ ಹತ್ಯೆಯ ನಂತರ ಸಂಘರ್ಷ ಸ್ಫೋಟಗೊಂಡಿತು. ಶಿವಶರಣರನ್ನು ರಾಜ್ಯದಿಂದ ಹೊರಹಾಕಲಾಯಿತು, ಸೈನ್ಯವು ಬೆನ್ನಟ್ಟಿತು, ಅವರು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ದಿಕ್ಕುಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಓಡಿಹೋದರು, ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನವರು ದಕ್ಷಿಣಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋದರು. ಶಿವಶರಣರು ಶಾಂತಿಯುತರಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಆತ್ಮರಕ್ಷಣೆಯ ವಿಷಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದಾಗ ಹೋರಾಟಗಾರರಾಗಿದ್ದರು, ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ವಚನ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯವನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸಲು ತಮ್ಮ ಜೀವವನ್ನೇ ಕೊಟ್ಟರು.  ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಜನರು, ಅನುಯಾಯಿಗಳು ಶಿವಶರಣರ ಪರಂಪರೆಯನ್ನು  ಜೀವಂತವಾಗಿಟ್ಟರು. ಅವರ ಸಮಾಧಿ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳು ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಾಗಿವೆ. ಶಿವಶರಣರ ಕೊಡುಗೆಗೆ ಗೌರವ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಲು ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ತತ್ವಶಾಸ್ತ್ರದಿಂದ ಸ್ಫೂರ್ತಿ ಪಡೆಯಲು, ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಜನರು ಶಿವಶರಣರ ಐಕ್ಯಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ಐಕ್ಯಸ್ಥಳಗಳನ್ನು ಈ ನಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗುರುತಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಹೊಸ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ದೊರಕಿದಾಗ ಈ ನಕ್ಷೆಯನ್ನು ನವೀಕರಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ನಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲದಿರುವ ಐಕ್ಯಸ್ಥಳದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಓದುಗರಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿದಿದ್ದರೆ, ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿ  ವಿಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಹಾಕಬೇಕೆಂದು ವಿನಂತಿ. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ನಕ್ಷೆಗೆ ಸೇರಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

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trek to Hanne Gudda Ranganatha Swami Devastana

Dec 9, 2024
Arrived at Ajjampur-Sokke. Met my hosts Sri Rajanna, Sri Vinay and Sri Mohan of Sokke. I was taken on a tour of the two temples of the village- Ishwara Devalaya and Sri Lakshmi Ranganatha Swami Devalaya. Then we drove to the nearby Gondavalli to see the Hoysala period Sri Yoganarasimha Devastana. On the way back to Sokke we stopped at Gondedahalli Siddarameshwara Devalaya to see the inscription stones. Though the temple structure is modern, it's an ancient shrine. Within the temple premises are memorial-stones and inscription slabs. Mohan mentioned that Sokke was mentioned in the inscription. However, the temple gates were locked and it was past midday, no hopes of entering the temple until evening, or the next morning. We head back to Sokke, had lunch at Rajanna's place and rest. One more place was on the agenda was Hanne Gudda, a hill about 7 km from Sokke. That's Hanne Gudda sitting on the northern horizon.

On Hanne Gudda is an ancient shrine dedicated to Sri Ranganatha Swami which is believed to be the origin of Sokke Ranganatha Swami Devalaya. My hosts said that an early morning trek on the hill would be an enjoyable experience. Totally agreed. A small team was formed, pooja material was organized.

Dec 10, 2024
After a nice dinner and a good night sleep, I woke up around 5-30. I felt rested and energized. Vinay and I met up with Mohan and three other people at Ranganatha Swami Devalaya. Rajanna's Maruti Omni was comfortable for the six of us. I was riding an Omni after a decade or so.. the ride brought back memories of our journeys in Omni in the 90s and 2000s. It's one rugged vehicle, runs well on rough terrain and bad roads too. We reached the base of the hill by 6-45 am. We parked the Omni close to a natural spring called Ganagammana Halla and started our trek. That's the team (left to right); Anant, Raghu Swami, Vinay, Mohan Kumar and Halappa.

At this spot we were less than twenty minutes into the trek, I was already sweating and breathless. We still have a long way to go. After the rains, vegetation have grown back blocking the path. Also the surface was uneven, pebbles would come loose, had to be very alert in such stretches.

We reached a rocky outcrop between two peaks. From here we would be turning left. Our destination, Ranganatha Swami Devastana sits on the peak of the hill which happens to be the south-eastern tip of the 22.5 km wide hill-range. The entire rage is wooded, which meant that we have just entered a wild jungle. An early morning trek is not only pleasant but also safer.

That's Mohan Kumar standing next to a shallow pit.. not sure if that's natural or manmade. The rocky protrusion in the background is a huge formation. During the short break here, Vinay and Mohan told me that three quarters of a century ago this hill was a gold mining site. British engineers had made tunnels and laid rails for transporting ore to the surface. The project was later aborted probably due to economical feasibility. The rails and tunnels can still be seen but accessing the tunnels could be challenging due to shrubs blocking the entrances. Also, the tunnels could be infested with wild life so it may not be safe. Well, British had really tried to exploit our country in every little possible way!

Another look at the protruding rock. It would interesting to check the rock in close quarters but not for this morning. We continued our trek in the cool pleasant weather. Sunlight had just started piercing the  layers of mist in its way.

Every hill has it's own ecosystem, part of which are a particular set of plants. Memories of visiting Bhutappana Gudi near Bhogasandra resurfaced. Raju, my host there had searched for kaadu-bikke-hannu a type of wild berry but the season had passed. I asked my hosts here if bikke-hannu grew here, the name itself was strange to them. Maybe it doesn't grow here. Later Mohan a name which could be another name for bikke-hannu. Where the ground was open to sky, it was covered with gold-silver grass.

By 7-40 AM, we reached this spot close to our destination, maybe 10 more minutes trek to the peak. These stones look like rough-cut slabs like the slabs of prehistoric megalithic tombs.

There are several shrines between here and the peak. The first one being Siddaru at the base of this Ficus.

The next one is Veerabhadreshwara shrine.

Before arriving at Ranganatha Swami Devastana we passed by Rushiyappana Kallugalu, a pair of natural stones worshipped by local people. The spot was littered with banana leaves and plastic bags, I wanted to clear them and then take pictures. Since we were tight on time, we proceeded to Ranganatha Gudi.

Here we come Ranganna.

The ancient builders had built this little east-facing structure and a wall around it. Stones were sourced from outcrops nearby. The ancient creation has gelled so well with its natural surroundings that it feels like part of nature itself.

Every Ranganatha shrine will have its own Garuda Kambha., usually directly opposite to it. But here dues to space constraint, it has been placed diagonally. At the base of the pillar is a relief sculpture of Hanuman.

That's Halappa standing peacefully while the pooja takes place. Pooje was performed by Anant as Raghu Swami chanted slokas of a mantra. The pooje was quite detailed; the idols were bathed in fresh water, arishina-kumkuma were applied, flowers were offered and arati was performed along with chanting of mantras.

As the pooje progressed, I assessed the possibility of flying my drone. Wind was manageable. The problem was absence of a flat surface, even a 2' x 2' patch was enough, but not even a square foot of flat surface for liftoff and landing. I decided to take the risk and launched the drone. The temple in the jungle.

This picture was shot with the drone directly above us.

Another aerial view of the peak, the surroundings and the plains below. On the left hand side of the picture you can see a group of stones. I guess those must be stones leftover when construction at this site ceased. From the aerial pictures, it feels like there are multiple trails to reach this temple but I feel the path we took is the most friendly one, others seem to be steep.

After the short flight I decided to land the drone. I took a minute just to decide the landing spot, a seating slab close to the temple. The drone landed okay but the slant slab did not offer much friction, the drone slid off and fell noisily on the neighboring stone. Luckily the drone survived the fall, no damages at all. Here's the link to the video on YouTube- Hanne Gudda.

Next to the spot where I sat was this piece of sculpture- the pedestal of the original deity here. The tiny figure seen on the pedestal is Garuda, Vishnu's mount.

Here's a collage of the original idol which was damaged, apparently by a bear, and replaced by a new idol. A deer horn has been placed along with the idols. Maybe a deer broke it's horn nearby and someone put it in the temple.

Ranganna's idol after pooje by Anant and Raghu Swami. Also a Hanuman idol is present here.

Pooje completed, we packed up and prepared to leave. One last look at the peaceful little temple.

We walk down to Rushiyappa Kallugalu. Surely there would be a story associated with these stones. By the look of the flowery offerings and the banana leaves left behind, the group must've been a big one, maybe 30 to 40 people. Looked like they prepared food too.

My hosts surprised me when they settled down to prepare a sweet snack of mashed banana, jaggery and coconut pieces. Even I was hungry I was okay to trek the way down since it's easier with an empty tummy. The snack was tasty, light on tummy and refreshing.

Around this time, maybe a little earlier, one of them received a phone call who was trekking up on his own. The last person, Pradeep, was supposed to join us at Sokke but arrived here late. We waited for him and then started the descent. Sun had risen and started beating down. One needs to be more careful while descending, one wrong step might end with a fall. I slipped several times but managed to regain balance. The 30-minute descent sapped out. We slowly headed towards Gangammana Halla wary that we had to reach Sokke as quickly as possible since I had a train to catch at 12-15 PM.

I had tracked our movements on the hill using Zeopoxa Running mobile app, below are the screenshots of the ascent and the descent. It's good to know these stats like start time, end time, elevation gained, elevation lost, etc.

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Inscription stones of Bengaluru district

A nice little discovery was made while looking cycling photographs in my archive on Jan 5th. The photo was shot at the history-based Republic Day flower show at Lalbagh held between Jan 20th and Jan 30th 2023. The text on the map caught my attention - it was a map of inscription stone locations in Bengaluru district. The map, published by The Mythic Society, is a part of the project titled "Bengaluru Inscriptions 3D Digital Conservation Project." The printout exhibited at the flower show was to evoke curiosity about inscriptions. Those interested had to go online and open the weblink shown on the exhibit which in turn lead to the map The Incredible Inscription Stones of Bengaluru on Google Maps. The locations of inscription stones are marked on the map, one could click a particular pin to see the  details of that inscription. The map has hundreds of locations classified into three sections- 1. inscription present at the site, 2. inscription is missing from the site, and 3. inscriptions whereabout is unknown. The map also has marked areas based on time period. One has to appreciate the efforts of the team behind this endeavor. This is a significant contribution towards documenting our heritage.

Here's a preview of the map. You can open the map directly by clicking the second link of this post.

The century old Mythic Society was established in 1909 to study the culture of then Mysore state. Today the organization nurtures studies related to heritage of southern India. The society's library with over 40K books is one of the best in the world. This library is the key aspect of The Mythic Society and treasure trove of historical information.

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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.

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