four faces of a pillar

When you see places like Hampi, Badami, Aihole and the likes, one could photograph them at macro and micro levels, relatively. A scene from an elevated spot to a group of temples to an individual temple to a pillared hall inside a temple to a large statue to a tiny sculpture on a pillar. One could find countless subjects to shoot. Many a times, I've appreciated sculptures more on my laptop screen than at the site. At the site, a small image catches my eye, I look at it for a second or two, I shoot it and move on. At home I look at pictures of those tiny sculptures for minutes, trying to figure out so many things... what's that expression or the talent of the sculptor or the purpose of that image. One could get lost in that world of sights and thoughts.

Now, coming to a particular pillar in the VIII Century CE Chalukyan monument Durga Gudi at Aihole. There's a pair of heavily decorated pillars in the Mukha-mantapa. However, the middle part of the pillars is eye-catching. Plains surface with a circular image on each of the four faces. It's so elegant. The plain surface highlights the circular image. One might imagine that the other two faces have similar sculptures.

No, the opposite faces have blank circles. Why these are plain.. possibly incomplete. Was it meant to be polished to mirror finish. Or, was it like a blank canvas for another sculptor. I remember one of the guides say that blanks were left to invite foreign sculptors in a way of challenge or, a simple display of talent. There could be other reasons.

The more I look at these sculptures, the more I wonder how the sculptors achieved the forms, those straight lines, right angles, perfect circles, the precision, those expressions. It's a big question- how? And another question- why? Why these elaborate designs?

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Hanuman Mandir, Navalur

Even though Navalur is just four kilometers from our home, I'd never entered it until mid 2023. I started exploring roads & trails for cycling one day I rode into Navalur and found the place interesting. The original name of this village was Naviluru meaning a place of peacocks. With time Naviluru became Navaluru. A small group of hillocks here is called Navalur Gudda. On one of the peaks is an ancient shrine called Basavanna Gudi which I'd visited in 2009. Back then the hillocks were bare, hardly any vegetation. Few years later, Karnataka Forest Department afforested the hillocks, now it's a beautiful jungle, a home to wildlife. During our early morning rides around the Gudda, we've heard peacock calls many a times.

On June 7th 2023 during a ride I noticed this south-facing Hanuman Mandir. Temple renovation project had just commenced hence broken walls and the scattered rubble.

The temple's Shikhara got my attention. I realized that the structure was ancient. I guessed the Shikhara and the walls below must be 500 to 550 years old, if not older. Also there was an ancient memorial-stone in the gateway - another piece of historical evidence.

Fast-forwarding to June 2026. The temple renovation had been completed months ago.

For the first time I saw the south-facing deity Hanuman. The stone sculpture is definitely ancient. The size and design is close to Hanuman idols consecrated by the XV - XVI Century scholar Vyasaraja. Perhaps, this idol too was installed during Vysaraja's time. In this sculpture, Hanuman is seen standing on a lying male character. 

As per the temple priest, the lying figure is Shanideva. I guess this is the reason why people visit Hanuman temples on Saturdays even though Tuesday is Hanuman's day.

Also, next to Hanuman's idol is a boulder which is also worshipped. According to the priest, and another person as well, a few years back a figure of Hanuman started appearing on the boulder on its own. When I glanced at the stone it was covered in flowers. Another time then.

The temple's sandstone arches gives a heritage feeling. On the two side walls of the Mukhamantapa are relief sculptures of entwined serpents.

These sculptures are a work of clever sculptors. The serpent pairs create a maze. Once could trace a finger from head to tail and vice versa.

A diagonal view of the exterior. The recently made front portion is an assembly of sandstone blocks. The rear portion i.e. the sanctum walls & Shikhara are ancient, and made of harder stone.

Rear diagonal views of the temple. Here you can see the small sculptures decorating the tiers. Also the rear wall has a niche with a miniature Shikhara over it.

Niche, miniature Shikhara and a Kirtimukha. The purpose of Kirtimukha is ward off evil eyes. One must read the story of Kirtimukha as told by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

A closer view of the 7-step pyramidal Shikhara. See the sculptures at the middle of each tier. The topmost tier has Kirtimukha.

A much closer view of the Kirtimukha and the brass crown.

This sculpture has Hoysala sculptors' touch, saying that because of the creepers flanking the bejeweled woman. I feel these sculptures were not a part of the original design. They seem to be inserted later.

Next we have a warrior armed with a mace. Could this be Indra.

Then we have a man-woman couple, can't say what they are doing. Here we have the same type of creeper seen earlier.

Here's a collage of four more sculptures. Let's go around clockwise starting top-left. A Shivalinga with two lady attendants. Sri Lakshminarayana. A female deity, unsure who it is. A dancing lady wearing heavy jewelry. These seven sculptures are from one face of the pyramid. I haven't seen the sculptures on the other two sides.

These sculptures are evidence enough to say Navalur Hanuman Mandir is ancient, probably six to seven centuries old. The additional historical evidence is the memorial stone fixed in the entrance.

It looks like this stone is in memory of a woman warrior. Can't say who it is but it's a member of a royal family.

The temple's gateway is still incomplete. Lastly, I must mention the boulder placed on a pedestal. I asked a villager if this boulder was a challenge to weight lifters. No clear response.

Besides this ancient temple, there are more ancient temples but the old structures have been replaced with contemporary structures. The other temple I happened to visit was the Ramlingeshwar Gudi which is about 300 meters from here. There the deity is a large pedestal mounted Linga which too is ancient.

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