Domed Gateway, Hampi

During my previous trip to Hampi i.e. in 2017 we discovered Bhimans Hebbagilu which is a major gateway of Hampi on its southeastern side. Later I learnt about other gateways such as the domed gateway, Talarighatta Hebbagilu, Huvina Bagilu, and Sringarada Hebbagilu. Of these I had passed through Talarighatta gateway several times while going to Vijaya Vittala Devastana. There are minor gateways and probably major ones to be discovered.

December 9, 2024
This tour was with Sridhar, my friend from Bhogasandra. It was his first visit here. We drove from Dharwad and our tour started with Agasi the western gateway and Vatika Kuparama the octagonal stepped well. Then we went to the grand temple Pattabhirama Devastana on the outskirts of Kamalapur. Then we moved on to Lokapavani the stepped tank. Five minutes walk from the tank is the domed gateway.

By the looks of the arch and dome, it is Indo Saracenic architecture.  It's an impressive structure. The white & ochre Naama markings on the walls indicate the presence of an active temple inside.

This structure reminds me of gateways are Bidar and Hyderabad.

A board planted nearby describes it as follows:

The Domed Gateway is located in the northeast near the Pattabhirarna Temple. It is around 18 metres high. designed in Indo-Islamic style of architecture. This is one of the main entrances to the city of Vijayanagara. This gateway provided access to the city of Vijayanagara from the east and the north. The square entrance has four massive arches. The semi-circular arches span from the center of the dome to the edge of its apex. The arches are decorated with lime mortar ornamentation. The arch has a square band on the upper portion. Above the square band is a semi-circular section, above which is a half-spherical dome. The Domed Gateway has spaces for guard houses adjoining it on either side of its entrance from the east. The walls of the Domed Gateway are massive and have bas-relief decorations of a fish, a snake and an elephant.

An Anjaneya Temple was constructed within this structure. It has a six-foot tall bas-relief sculpture of Anjaneya in the garbhagriha. During the Vijayanagara period, if one were traveling into the city from the east, they would first pass through the Penukonda Gateway, then through the Domed Gateway, and finally through Bhima's gateway.

Penukonda gateway is about 2.6 km by road. If a bird flew between the two gateways it would be just 500 meters.

Yes, there's an active Hanuman temple inside. Most gateways built by Hindu rulers will have a temple dedicated to Hanuman. And like most large gateways, this too has a bent path. This design slows down movement incase of any attempt to barge through the passage.

Sridhar's already inside the temple admiring the six feet tall image of Hanuman.

It's a simple semi open temple. The four pillars are clearly Vijayanagara design. It's quite possible that the deity might have been consecrated by Vyasaraja, the Madhwa philosopher who had great influence in Krishnadevaraya's court.

The passage widens into a spacious yard. On the eastern wall is a shrine dedicated to Shivalinga. The platform here indicates that a temple or a pillared hall was planned here. For some reason the shelter construction never happened. Close to the southern wall is a Yagna Kunda, a sacred pit where offerings were made to fire god Agni. There's one such pit at Bhima's gateway too.

Going towards the gateway's other end which lead into the fortified city of Hampi. Presently it's a dead end because of a reservoir embankment's presence.

The platforms flanking the passage would've been used as a toll office. Probably people transporting  goods for trade had to pay taxes here.

On the walls are several interesting images such as elephants, fishes, tortoises and reptiles. Such images can be found on most temple walls of Vijayanagara period.

Done with the tour of the domed gateway, we head out and stop for one last shot.

From here we head out in search of another ancient temple and find it amidst sugarcane fields. Unfortunately the temple gates were locked shut. We did check if there was any other way of entering but no such luck. Then we went in search of another temple called Kallara Gudi which translated to thieves temple. This is a present day name for it, probably thieves used this place as a hideout since it's located away from settlements. I feel this temple situated off Kamalapur-Daroji road is Kallara Gudi.

The side road in front of the temple goes into farm lands. I spoke to a couple of guys at the temple, they did not even know what this temple was called. 

About 800 meters from here is Penukonda gateway and I was unaware of it. To our bad luck no other local person was present around here. So close and we missed an important monument. Well, that would be for the next Hampi trip.

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Parshvanatha Jinalaya, Hampi

Dec 9th 2024. We reached Anantasayana Gudi village around 9 AM. A decade ago I'd seen the humongous temple once dedicated to sleeping Vishnu, now an inactive temple. We stopped so that Sridhar could see it. Then we moved on towards Kamalapur where we visited Pattabhirama Devastana, Lokapavani, the domed gateway and the museum. Then we checked into KSTDC lodge at Kamalapur, lunched and rested for a while. We resumed the tour around 3-30 pm. We spent almost an hour at Zenana enclosure and elephant stables. I'd wanted to explore the ruins beyond the stables and this was the right time.

About 150 meters from the stables are ruins of two temple, the one on the right hand side is Parshvanatha Jinalaya.

A tourism board planted close by describes the temple as follows:

ಪಾರ್ಶ್ವನಾಥ ಜಿನಾಲಯವು ಪಾನ್ ಸುಪಾರಿ ಬಜಾರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡುಬರುವ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ದೇವಾಲಯವಾಗಿದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಕ್ರಿ.ಶ. ೧೪೨೭ರ ಶಾಸನವು ಪ್ರೌಢದೇವರಾಯನು ಕ್ರಮುಕಪರ್ಣಾಪಣ ಬೀದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾರ್ಶ್ವನಾಥ ಚೈತ್ಯಾಲಯವನ್ನು ಕಲ್ಲಿನಿಂದ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದನೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿದೆ. ಇದನ್ನು ಜೈನ ಪಂಥದ ೨೩ನೇ ತೀರ್ಥಂಕರನಾದ ಪಾರ್ಶ್ವನಾಥನಿಗೆ ಸಮರ್ಪಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಎರಡನೇ ದೇವರಾಯ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದ ಉತ್ತರಾಭಿಮುಖದ ಈ ಜೈನ ದೇವಾಲಯವನ್ನು ಈಗಿನ ಸ್ವರೂಪಕ್ಕೆ ನವೀಕರಿಸಿದ್ದು ಕೃಷ್ಣದೇವರಾಯ. ನೆಲಮಟ್ಟದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಪಾರ್ಶ್ವನಾಥ ಜಿನಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಗರ್ಭಗೃಹ, ಅರ್ಧ ಮಂಟಪ, ನವರಂಗ, ಸಭಾಮಂಟಪ, ಸಭಾಮಂಟಪದಲ್ಲಿ 'ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಗರ್ಭಗೃಹವಿದೆ. ಗರ್ಭಗೃಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಂಹಮುಖ ಪೀಠವಿದ್ದು ಶಿಲ್ಪವಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಲಲಾಟದಲ್ಲಿ ತೀರ್ಥಂಕರನನ್ನು ಕಡೆದಿರುವರು. ನವರಂಗ ತಲಾ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಬಹುಮುಖಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಡೆದ ದಪ್ಪನೆಯ ಕಂಬಗಳಿವೆ. ನವರಂಗದ ಎರಡೂ ಕಡೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತೆರಡು ತೀರ್ಥಂಕರರನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪಿಸಿದ್ದ ಪೀಠಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಕಾಣುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಸಭಾಮಂಟಪದ ಪ್ರವೇಶದ್ವಾರದ ಇಕ್ಕೆಲಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕಡೆದಿರುವುದು ವಿಶೇಷ. ಈಶಾನ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಪೂಜಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳಿಗೆಂದೇ ತೆಗೆಸಲಾದ ಬಾವಿಯನ್ನು ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಈ ದೇವಾಲಯ ಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಸಿದ ಉತ್ಪನನಗಳಿಂದ ಅನೇಕ ತೀರ್ಥಂಕರರ ಕೆತ್ತನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊರತೆಗೆಯಲಾಗಿದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅವುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವನ್ನು ರಾಣಿಯರ ಅಂತಃಪುರದ ಖಜಾನೆ ಕಟ್ಟಡದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಶಿಲ್ಪಕಲಾ ಗ್ಯಾಲರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನಕ್ಕೆ ಇಡಲಾಗಿದೆ.

Parshvanatha Jinalaya is an important temple found in the Paan Supari Bazaar, The 1426 CE. inscription records that Proudadevaraya constructed this Temple from stone found on the Kramuka Parnapana Street. The temple is dedicated to the 23 Tirthankara Farshvanatha, of the Jain sect. This Jain Temple, constructed by Devaraya I and was renovated by Krishnadevaraya. It is at the same level as the road and consists of a garbhagriha, an Ardhamantapa, a Navaranga and a Sabhamantapa. The Sabhamantapa also has a Garbhagnha with a pedestal that has the face of a lion carved on it. On the lintel of its doorway. there is a sculpture of a Tirthankara. There are four, strong, multi-sided pillars in the Navaranga, on either side of which there are twenty-two pedestals of the Tirthankaras. The entrance of the Sabhamantapa has carvings of elephants instead of the usual Dwarapalakas For rituals, a tank is constructed towards the northeast of the temple. Numerous excavated Tirtharikara sculptures are now placed in the gallery of the Treasury building of the Zenana Enclosure.

The description says that this Jinalaya is situated in Paan Supari Bazar but actually it's not because the actual location is about 490 meters away. Having said that the description matches except that it does not mention two inscriptions here. Wondering if it was relocated in the recent times. Anyway, let's take a look. The sculpture of a Tirthankara on the lintel (see inset) confirms this as a Jinalaya.

The construction of the temple seems very much like Vijayanagara. It is said that the kingdom was not only tolerant to all sects of Hindu fold but also to Abrahamic faiths. So here we have evidence of Shaiva, Vaishnava and Jaina temples side by side.

As we step into the temple, we see the Navaranga Manatapa and the doorway of the Antharala (vestibule).

We get a glimpse of the sanctum, there's only a pedestal, no deity. The columns and beams are bereft of decorative sculpture.

Back at the Mukhamanatapa (verandah) are two inscription blocks, on either sides of the doorway. The letters are of same size, lines are straight and precisely spaced. I for one can't write a line clearly with pen and paper. The ancient people wrote so neatly on stone.

While I took pictures, Mr. Bidare had stretched out comfortably on the Sukhanasi. I feel he was eagerly awaiting sunset to call it a day. But no, we still had a couple more places to see, two more kilometers to walk.

About 90 meters from this Jinalaya is Vishnu temple and further ahead is Sringarada Hebbagilu. In between are two more ruined temple structures. One of them is a compact structure with richly decorated columns. 

I stepped into the ruins wary of the precariously balanced columns and walls. All the columns of this temple are grand. It's sad to see the condition.. Hoping ASI takes up restoration work of this little temple.

We continue our trek towards Sringarda Hebbagilu which literally means decorated gateway.

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