My first and last visit to Nargund Sri Venkateshwara Devastana was in October 2010. As you see, the temple Gopura is a handsome seven tiered structure. Even though Gopuras feature sculptures and are colorfully painted, plain white colored Gopura are not uncommon. It's the matter of financial backing the temple possesses, or maybe just to keep it simple. Anyhow, this Gopura is elegant. For that matter, the whole building is all white, a peaceful looking structure.
The mural on the crown shows Vishnu, his consorts Bhudevi and Niladevi, Adisesa, Hanuman and Garuda. It is said that this temple was built in the XVII Century by Maratha Bhave dynasty.
During the visit I did step into the temple. The interior showed signs of neglect. I remember seeing a lot of woodwork, but everything was in a state of disrepair. Maybe the temple was going through a bad phase financially. Also I remember there was a very elderly poojari about to start the morning rituals. The poojari didn't look happy and I didn't make conversation. I did a quick namaskara and left.
Opposite the Gopura is a smaller temple with a pyramidal Shikhara. The Shikhara doubles up as a Deepastambha. The little niches on the pyramid are for placing oil lamps. Imagine the pyramid aglow with a hundred lamps under a dark sky. It would be a sight to behold.
This set of photos has evoked a thought of another visit to Nargund which should happen soon. I did check out photos on Google Maps, the recent photos show a well maintained temple. Glad to know that this ancient temple is being cared for.
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