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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Ramlingeshwara Devastana, Navaluru

The name  Navalur is derived from Naviluru which literally means a place of peacocks. Navalur is situated on the border of Malnad and Bayaluseeme (hilly region and plains) besides a small hill range 6 km southeast of Dharwad. Back then Dharwad and Navalur were two distinct settlements but now the village is on the verge of being urbanized. Yet, the village retains the original feel. Memories of Navalur village go back to my childhood years.. railway crossing, mango & guava plantations, even grape orchards. With times the number of gardens has diminished. The railway gate made way for a flyover in the 80s. Changes are inevitable, yet Navalur retains a strong rural ambiance which is why I started frequenting the village for early morning bicycle rides which led to exploring the surrounding areas too.

At Navalur's northeastern corner is a temple dedicated to Hanuman. In the beginning I would just pause the ride for to take a look at the deity, a almost 6 feet tall stone idol. Once I happened to notice the deity sans flower decoration. The stone idol of Hanuman was so much like the ancient idols associated with the XV Century philosopher Vyasatirtha. That means, we have an ancient temple. Also in the temple gate is an ancient memorial stone (hero-stone).

Besides the Hanuman Gudi, there are a few more temples in the older parts of Navalur. The temples are Mallikarjuna Gudi, Banashankari Gudi, Dhyamavva Gudi, Basavanna Gudi, and a Jaina Basadi too. Then there's one Garadi Manae as well. Garadi Manae is a gym where wresters trained with the blessings of Hanuman. The more I learn, the more interesting Navalur gets.

June 16th morning I reach to Navalur Hanuman Gudi and start taking pictures of the structure. The stone walls, stone Shikhara and sculptures on the structure seem like XV or XVI Century CE. One of the temple visitors was curious about my shooting. I told him about my interest in ancient monuments which led to the person sharing a lot of historical information. According to him, Navalur was a fortified village, a moat ran around the perimeter as well. I had no clue a fort existed here!

The person, Shri Bhyrappanavar, asked me to go along with him to another ancient shrine dedicated to Shiva Linga. I guessed its location but I was surprised to know it was ancient. Well, here we are at the Ramlingeshwar Devastana.

A lovely idol of Parvati & Shiva.

It's an ancient belief that we must see Shiva Linga between Nandi's horns.

While Shiva Linga idol is ancient Nandi idol is a recent creation. The original Nandi idol was removed because it was damaged. As you see, the older temple structure has been replaced with a recently constructed building.

Shivaaya Namah Aum. Did you notice that the Jaladhari is towards the east-facing Garbhagudi door. Normally, you see it on the left or right but here it's in the front. I don't know why its positioned this way. The size of the idol is impressive, its about 4.5 feet high. To my knowledge there's no other Shivalinga as big as this one.

Going by the stone, the sculpture and the workmanship, this idol seems ancient. It could be 500 to 600 years old, maybe even older.

This is the best shot I could manage in the small space between the Shivalinga and Garbhagudi wall. The pedestal detailing is amazing. Don't know how many ancient people had dedicated their lives protecting and preserving this beautiful idol.

Also thanks to the person who financed this temple's renovation and maintenance.

Adjoining Ramlingeshwar Gudi is Durgadevi Gudi.

A lovely painting of Durgadevi adorns the Garbhagudi wall. One must appreciate the efforts of the artist who painted it. A lady was in charge of this shrine. She has just completed morning rituals.

Like Ramlingeshwar, the deities here are south-facing. This is a rather curious feature of these two temples.

My heartfelt thanks to Shri Bhyrappanavar for urging me to visit this place. We exchanged mobile numbers before parting. I promised to call him to learn more about Navalur history. I head back to Hanuman Gudi for more pictures and then headed home.

Before ending this post I would like to mention my visit to Navalur Gudda in 2009 to see the ancient Basavanna Gudi. Back then the hill was barren. That shrine was ancient but the older structure had been demolished and a new building was being constructed. Unfortunately I didn't pictures of the deity. Presently, the hill has been taken over by Karnataka Forest Department, the entire hill is wooded and out of bounds. The jungle is home to peacocks and other wildlife now. Somehow, I was fortunate to have experienced a bicycle ride on Navalur Gudda, in Aug 2023 with Pushpa and my friend Srinu.

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Yantrodharaka Hanuman Gudi, Hubballi

A few months while exploring the rural stretches around Dharwad & Hubballi, a marked spot caught my attention. The title of the spot on Google Maps stated "Yantroddharak Hanuman Temple." To my knowledge the only Yantrodharaka Hanuman shrine was situated at Chakratirtha at Hampi. Chakratirtha is the spot where river Tungabhadra turns sharply to the north, flows in the northerly direction for about 500 meters and then takes a sharp turn towards east. Since the ancient times, where a river or stream turns to the north or south or where streams merge are considered as holy spots and, shrines dedicated to Shiva are present. Coming back to Chakratirtha, the two main shrines are Yantrodharaka Hanuman and Kodhandarama temples. Then there are countless bas relief sculptures on the rocks along the river bank. Sculptures of Shiva Linga, Nandi, Anantasayana, Hanuman, Garuda, Ganesha, Narasimha and Dashatavatara can be seen on the rocky bank. Talking about Yantrodharaka Hanuman, it's a rare form of Hanuman in which he is seen seated in a hexagram.

After Hampi visit I found the story of Yantrodhara Anjaneya on Hampi Online website. I'm hereby quoting the story as it is:

Sri Vyasathirtha, a great scholar saint during the reign of King Krishna Deva Raya is believed to be an incarnation of the celestial Shankukarna. The earlier incarnation of Shankukarna was Bhakta Prahlada and the one after Sri Vyasathirtha was that of Sri Raghavendra Swami. Sri Vyasathirtha used to go to very calm spots on the banks of river Tungabhadra and meditate uninterrupted. One day, while he was meditating in a hillock near Chakratirtha, an image of Lord Hanuman kept coming to his mind. This happened only at that particular spot and nowhere else, even in nearby hillocks.

Sri Madhwacharya (believed to be an incarnation of Lord Hanuman) appeared in the dreams of Sri Vyasathirtha and instructed him to install an icon of Lord Anjaneya (Hanuman) next time. The next time Sri Vyasathirtha saw the image in the middle of his meditation, without any delay, he drew the image from his mind on to a rock using an Angara (coal used by Brahmins during Pooja performance). To his surprise, a monkey came to life from the rock and jumped out of the rock and his drawing would disappear. He repeated the process of drawing and every time, a monkey would jump out of the rock and the drawing would disappear. This happened 12 times.

Full of surprise, Sri Vyasathirtha finally decided to bind the image of Lord Hanuman in a Yantra. A small temple was built there and hence the temple has the name Yantroddhara Anjaneya. In the core of the Yantra is the statue of Lord Hanuman in Padmasana position. This is probably the only temple of Lord Hanuman in a sitting position which is generally in a flying or blessing position. The Yantra here is a form of binding which looks like a 6 cornered star. The star is encircled in a circle with flames going outwards giving it the drawing look of a sun. A closed, benzene like ring of 12 monkeys holding each others’ tails can also be found around the star and the sun which forms the outermost structure of the Yantra.

Following this, it is believed Sri Vyasathirtha installed 732 Hanuman temples all over South India. It is, to date, very difficult to get a list of all these.

Of the 732 idols of Hanuman installed by Vyasaraja, one of the known idols is inside the jungles of Uttara Kannaada, at Hanumana Kote near Lalguli village. I was fortunate enough to have visited the place three different times with years in between.

Coming back to the newest discovery, I was eager to see the shrine and came out with a plan. On Saturday May 15th morning, Pushpa and I finished our morning routine, packed breakfast and left home at 8 AM. Our destination was about 16 km away, close to Unkal village. We reached the place by 9 AM. This the sight of Yantrodhara Hanuman Gudi as seen from the road where we parked our car. As you see the place is silent except for the noise of light traffic.

It's a single chamber structure. The two Neem trees create a nice ambiance around the shrine.

The sanctum and the deity.

And, finally a close-up view of the deity. Having seen Hampi Yantrodhara Hanuman, it was like seeing a replica here.

I was curious about this temple's history. The only lead wad the phone number found at the site. I called the number which was answered by a person called Mallikarjun. Here's what learned: this temple was built a few years ago by the owner of this agricultural field. The deity is said to be consecrated by a Vaishnava Swamiji from Uttara Kannada. That's all for now. I did not press for more details since this was our first conversation. BTW, Mallikarjun is the priest who performs rituals here. In case you wish to visit this temple, you can call up the number seen in the photo above and check his availability.

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Veerabhadra Gudi and Bokyapur Anjaneya Gudi

This picture was shot sometime 2003 during an afternoon visit to Bokyapur Kere, a manmade waterbody near Garag village. The pond has an embankment to impound rainwater flowing down the surrounding slopes. This temple with an inscription slab is situated in farmlands adjoining the embankment. Going by the looks of the temple it seems like it was built during Vijayanagara times. The presence of the inscription is an indication that this temple was of some importance.

A local man who had accompanied me here that a Bokyapur was a small settlement. During the plague epidemic of late XIX century people left never to return and Bokyapur ceased to exist. This waterbody attracts migratory waterbirds like heron and cranes. I've seen a few big birds here along with regular waterbirds like ducks and cormorants. Also this pond is a spot for spectacular sunsets.

Jan 25, 2026
My wish to revisit this temple came true on this Sunday morning. Pushpa and I left home early for day trip of a few historical places. Bokyapur was the first stop. I was here after more than a decade and half. The place looked so much different. I parked my Wagon-R at the end of the embankment and we walked through farmlands to reach the temple. I was hoping to see the structure as it is but it was disappointing to see the insensitive changes. The caretakers has even oil-painted the inscription slab. Well, this is an attempt to beautify the temple in their own taste.

Construction work has haled for some reason, maybe waiting funds. The gates were closed but unlocked, we decided to check the interior.

For some reason my memory had registered a tiny temple. It's quite spacious in here. The flooring is done up, beams and pillars have been painted which was not necessary. I'm not sure if the deity idol is the original but the idol of Ganapa on the right hands side seems like a recent sculpture. Despite my criticism of renovation with cement/steel, I liked the flooring.

The ceiling slabs, beams and pillars seem original. Maybe one or two slabs and beams have been replaced with new ones but the pillars are surely ancient. The pattern is so much close to Chalukyan design. Who knows, this temple's history might go back to late Chalukyan times.

One more look at the inscription slab before we leave the spot. I must check out the records at Karnataka University history library. It would be interesting to what the inscription says, particularly the time period of the record.

We walk back to the car which was close to the shore. I spotted a cormorant perched on a stub, zoomed in with my Nikon P900 and got a few shots. I walked slowly towards the water hoping to get a closer sot but the shy bird took off.

Also Pushpa has walked into the little peninsula which was closer to the cormorant.

At the opposite end of the embankment is a 5' idol of Hanuman. Earlier this idol was housed in a small structure but for some reason the structure is gone and the idol has been installed on a small platform right next to the dirt-track. From the looks of the sculpture this too seems ancient, have a feeling it might of Vyasaraya time.

We decided to move on since the sun was getting warmer and had to cover three places around Bailhongal- Belavadi Veerabhadreshwara Devastana & Belavadi Mallamma Smaraka, Madiwala Machideva Aikyasthala at Karimani and Chachadi Desai Wadae.

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ancient temples of Dharwad district

Dharwad was one of the largest districts of Karnataka until it was trifurcated in 1997, that's when Gadag and Haveri districts came into being. Dharwad being reduced to almost one third its original size had to give away a lot of historical monuments like temples, stepped wells, mantapas & inscriptions to the two new districts. Yet, within the present boundaries of Dharwad districts are several dozen ancient shrines out of which eight prominent temples have been listed here.

Someshwara Gudi, Dharwad: The temple is situated in the southeastern corner of Dharwad, in a shallow valley. One of the online sources say that Someshwara Gudi was built in the X Century by a king of Alupa dynasty. Later it was renovated in the XV Century by Vijayanagara King Immadi Devaraya. Presently the temple exterior is not even close its original form but the interiors seem to be well preserved. The main doorframe, Ranga Mantapa columns, Garbhagudi doorframe, the main deity Shiva Linga and Nandi - all are original sculptures. Opposite the temple is a stepped well. Despite its long history, this temple doesn't seem to be a protected monument. 

About half a kilometer away towards the east is Shalmala Ugamanasthala, the birth place of river Shalmala. A small shrine over the spring, the spring water collects into a large tank before flowing away and going underground and resurfaces somewhere in the western ghats.

Banashankari Devastana, Amargol: This protected monument, because of it's sandstone looks, feels as though it was plucked out from Badami or Aihole and planted here. That's just an imagination but it is a Chalukyan monument. According to ASI, this temple east facing Dwikutachala was built in the XI or XII Century. An inscription dated 1120 CE found here states that Saudhore Jakkarasa built it with Kesava and Bhairava as deities. Presently Bhairava idol housed in one of the sanctums is damaged, and the other sanctum has a Shiva Linga. Reaching this temple is easy since it is situated in Amargol village which is off Dharwad-Hubballi road.

Chandramouleshwara Gudi, Unkal: Here's another Chalukyan beauty. The temple design is unique with four entrances, each aligned to the four cardinal directions- east, west, north & south. Then you step inside the temple, you get to see a central Garbhagudi with four doors, each aligned to the four entrances of the temple. Now, coming to the deity, it's a four-faced Shiva Linga. The temple design emanates from the deity's form. Apart from it's unique deity and interior, the temple exterior is aptly decorated with geometric and floral patterns. One could easily spend an hour admiring this marvelous temple which is situated in Unkal village in Hubballi.

Bhavani Shankar Gudi, Old Hubballi: This is the only Trikutachala, and also the best preserved ancient structure in Dharwad district. This too an east-facing temple, it's main sanctum is open towards the easterly direction. The main sanctum is dedicated to Bhavani Shankar, the south-facing sanctum is dedicated to Sriman Narayana and the north-facing sanctum is dedicated to Ganesha. This temple has been restored by the ASI at some point of time. While planning a visit here one can also see Siddarooda Matha since they are situated close to each other.

Shambulingeshwar Gudi, Kundagol: This XI Century east-facing temple was created during Western Chalukyan rule. In plan this temple is star-shaped. The temple's 30+ turned pillared hall is a sight to behold. Originally, these pillars are turned to perfection with sharp edges, graceful curves and polished to mirror finish. Over the centuries, the mirrors have been vandalized however, one must be thankful that the temple have survived in the present state. Apparently, a lightning struck this temple hence a part of the stone canopy has broken. Kundagol is about 15 km from NH48.

Kalmeshwara Gudi, Kamadhenu: Kamadhenu village is situated off Hubballi-Kalghatgi highway. The north-east facing temple is at the southern tip of the little village. The structure is made of soapstone. The temple's Sabha Mantapa, a large pillared hall with Sukhanasi around its perimeter can be entered by three entrances. All pillars in the Sabha Mantapa are fluted. The sanctum is dedicated to Shiva Linga and a Nandi idol sits opposite the sanctum. The temple's Shikhara is a pyramidal structure. Going its design, it seems like was built during the Western Chalukyan times.

Basavanna Gudi, Tambur: Nestled in the Devikoppa forest is Tambur which is popular for Basavanna Gudi. The ancient temple is seems like it was built during the Chalukyan times, probably in the XII Century. This east-facing temple is fully enclosed and had two entrances. The sanctum is dedicated to Shiva Linga and a Nandi idol sits at the opposite of the temple i.e. just in front of the eastern entrance. Within the temple site is a collection of ancient sculptures including a number of memorial stones with Kannada inscription. Tambur is about 45 km from Dharwad and 30 km from Hubballi.

Amruteshwara Gudi, Annigeri: Amruteshwara can be called as the largest ancient temple in Dharwad district. It was built in the XI Century CE by Kalyani Chalukyan rulers. Like Tambur Basavanna Gudi, this temple too is east-facing and has two entrances. The structure is made of soapstone, it has 76 pillars and its walls are covered with sculptures of characters from Hindu legends. Amruteshwara temple is said to be the prototype for Itagi Mahadeva in Koppal district. Withi in the premises of the temple are three inscription slabs. The temple has a nice open space around which is enclosed by a wide fort-like stone wall. Annigeri was a place of great importance once upon a time. Besides Amruteshwara gudi there are six other ancient shrines namely- Banashankari Gudi, Gajina Basappa Gudi, Hire Hanuman Gudi, Kambada Hanuman Gudi, Puradeeshwara Gudi and  Ramalinga Gudi

Here's a map with these temples marked. Hoping this helps anyone planning a tour of these temples.

 

This post speaks only about temples. To see the post covering all places of interest, check out the main article What to see in Dharwad district.

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