0 Sunsets at Bokyapur Lake

I was lucky to see these wonderful sunsets on three different evenings.






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Detail: Sunsets at Bokyapur Lake

0 One more sunset at Bokyapur Lake

This is on a different evening.

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Detail: One more sunset at Bokyapur Lake

0 Adargunchi Doddappa and Budarsinghi Hanumappa temples

Adargunchi Doddappa temple was known but unseen. I had heard the temple had a big statue of Mahaveera. Somehow we missed it during the visit to Shambulingesvara temple at Kundgol. I was thinking of driving up one of the weekends just for this. Then a wedding invitation put the plan in action; we were to attend a friend's wedding at Karadgi, another historical place.

December 9, 2012

We left home after breakfast. With Ashok at the wheel, we reached Adargunchi quickly, his driving was faster than any of the other cab drivers. Adargunchi is a small village located on the state highway connecting NH4 to Kundgol. As long as you ask for Doddappana Gudi anyoen can guide you, its right next to the bus-stand. At the temple a middle age man tagged on guiding us in and showing us around. That's Doddappana Devastana and our guide (see inset). I'd promised him to put his picture on the net :-) A pair or feet at the temple entrance.

That's Doddappa, a slightly larger than life statue. It is a Jain sculpture. Some places people are obsessed with painting temples and in some places its bathroom tiles. I wonder why? Anyway, coming back to the statue, its a tradition in this village for newly wed girls to sit on Doddappa's lap once before setting off to husband's home.

Doddappa temple is south facing and within the Garbhagudi is a east facing Shivalinga mounted on a large pedestal. Basavanna sits just outside the Garbhagudi (see inset).

A short video of the temple-

Its our habit to inquire for other historical monuments within the village or nearby. One of the folks suggest us Hanuman temple at Budarsinghi, on the other side of NH4. Budarsinghi is a smaller village and also peaceful. That's the temple main gate. It does look ancient but renovated.

This is the open space between the main gate and the core. The structure on the left seems to be built in 1960s. A small pillar mounted Basavanna next to the inner gate catches our attention.

The pillar is not an ordinary one, it has Kannada inscription on it. See inset for a closer view. We are trying to guess when this temple was built.. the top portion of the temple front is similar to the temple at Gangambike Memorial.

It's well maintained. thanks to the people who have taken the interest.

The interior surprised us, especially the presence of large columns. The top portion of the columns are artistically decorated. The sight of these columns reminds me of a royal palace. In fact the structure consist of more columns partly hidden in the walls.

Notice the elaborately Garbhagudi face and door-frame. Oil-paint is concealing the detailed sculpturing.

Jai Hanuman!

Entwined serpents on either sides of the Garbhagudi.

The white-black structure is the original temple- Garbhagudi and Shikhara. The front portion is an extension.

On the outer walls are several interesting images. Hanuman and Garuda. exchanging some object. The tree in the background has life within it- a parrot, a monkey and at least one more bird.

No clue who these characters are.

Lord Hanuman in a Mantapa with a tall Shikhara. No idea who this asana performing character is. The fish seems to be smiling.

Video of Budarsinghi Hanuman temple.

For those interested in visiting these places, this map might com handy.

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Detail: Adargunchi Doddappa and Budarsinghi Hanumappa temples

0 Dharwad loses a historical cemetery

Early 1980s
Summer vacations at Dharwad never went by without a visit to Kittur Chennamma Park. The park had a children's playground, a coconut plantation, a circular Mantapa, water fountains and an obelisk. At that age, the obelisk looked huge and I dreaded going near it because I was told it's Thackrey's Gori ~ Thackrey's tomb. The word gori was associated with ghosts by default :-(

2009 to 2012
March 2009 I visited KC Park to see John Thackrey's tomb. One look at the cream-ocher obelisk brought back memories of childhood. I felt it was untouched for years. Another visit some time July 2010 the obelisk had changed- black-white-grey.

While scanning Dharwad in Wikimapia/Google Maps I happened to see a small area marked as Thackrey's tomb and it was not in KC Park. Research on the Internet I realized that we had mistaken Thackrey memorial for his tomb all these years. Media articles said that Dharwad's historical European cemetery was neglected, encroached on by operators of a slaughter house and it was in danger of being destroyed completely. And that's where Thackrey's tomb is situated. I seriously doubted if anything remained in the cemetery. Anyway, let's check out the place.

January 5, 2013
Malatesh and I met at Shivaji circle. The cemetery is barely 600' away from where we met, yet we missed it as we passed by. We asked people living nearby, they pointed us to a narrow passage between two walls next to a open drain. It was filthy, a stream of red liquid flowing out from a 3' pipe. We saw pedestrians cover their noses with cloth to keep out the stench. Malatesh was hesitant, I told him to ignore the surroundings. We leaped across the drain and walked into cemetery.. cows and oxen waiting to be butchered. The cemetery plot measures approximately 150' x 70'.

Cows and Oxen tied all around to pegs and tomb structures.

Most tombs are destroyed, names & date tablets are missing.

The pink building is the abattoir.

Tombs are mutilated systematically with an intent of destroying them completely.

This Gothic obelisk is relatively well preserved.

Few more days nothing is left of this.

I had expected some resistance from the abattoir hands. A man wearing a white skull-cap turned up and asked who gave us permission to shoot pictures. Four or five men watching us in the background. Wow! I told him nobody's permission is required to shoot here. He suggested us to shoot at dairy farms. I told him clearly that we were here to shoot the tombs not cows and oxen. One man's feet was covered in blood. Butchers! Then the skull-cap man said is not for them these tombs would have been destroyed completely. We asked him if he knew which of these tombs is Thackrey's tomb. He said he did no know. Perhaps, he did not even know who Thackrey was. Dharwad's history is not his interest.

In fact the conversation happened right in front of this tomb, which we feel is Thackrey's tomb.

Lying about 15 feet away is this piece of sculpture which seems to be the cap-stone of the tomb.

 

Comparing the above pictures with the photo below, I feel we have located Thackrey's tomb.

John Thackeray's tomb photographed by Henry Cousens in 1880
Image reproduced with permission from The British Library

Malatesh and I felt all these tombs will disappear in 2 or 3 years if concerned government officials do not step in.

I wonder if its a difficult task for a state government to protect and preserve a historic monument.

Dharwad's European Cemetery Coordinates: 15°27'49"N   75°0'53"E

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Detail: Dharwad loses a historical cemetery

0 Shambulingesvara Temple, Kundgol

Although I have driven through Kundgol few times years ago, I did not get a chance to visit Shambulingesvara temple. I planned it for a Saturday, itinerary for the day was Kundgol, Tibetan camps near Mundgod and Mishrikote near Hubli.

July 7, 2012

I had hires a cab for the day. Yellappa, Malatesh and I arrived at the temple by 8-15. The temple has ample space around it. A government school is located feet away from the temple, children were entering the classroom for the day.

The temple is Ekakutachala, meaning has one Garbhagudi. Shambulingesvara Gudi is a 11th century temple built by the Kadambas and then later renovated by Chalukyas. Now the temple is being cared for; note the pillars around the temple supporting the stone canopy.

This east facing temple has 3 entrances; east, south and north. 64 lathe turned & polished pillars with rich designs hold up the temple's roof. No two pillars are same in decoration ...which is a norm of ancient temple builders.

Inside the Garbhagudi is a Shiva Linga pale brown in color, this is supposed to be rare. Normally Shiva Lingas are dark grey colored. However the pedestal made of black stone. Rituals for the day is yet to begin, the archaka was preparing for the morning pooja.

While facing the Garbhagudi, on the left side is a 1'x1' ventilator. A Halegannada inscription is embedded in the walls around the ventilator shaft. Garbhagudi is flanked by murthis of Ganapati and Parvati. As you see the sculptures are intricately sculptured and well finished.

There's Basavanna, facing his lord.

The temple is a typical Kadamba style construction. Solid columns and beams. A spacious Sukhanasi runs around the periphery. Local folks have left their marks on the temple floor; a series of small pits for some kind of game.

During its hey days, each of these pillars' turned sections would be like mirrors. We are truly fortunate to be seeing such temples.I wonder if builders of those days designed to stand till the end of time.

About four or five pillar are damaged. The temple caretakers said that many years ago a powerful lightening struck here and damaged these pillars.

Delicate designs decorate the columns.

If I try to draw this design on paper, it might not turn out as neatly as it is on stone. wonder if the design conveyed a meaning too. Surely it cannot be a random design.

A lotus on the underside of one of the beams.

The outside of the temple is covered with sculptures of various gods in small mantapas and a continuous row of mini shikharas below. If you take a close look you can notice the damage- each of the characters are defaced. However, we could recognize some characters- a standing Ganapati.

Mahishasuramardhini.

A beautifully carved stone grill covering a ventilator.

By the time we went around the temple, the archaka had finished with the rituals. We did namaskara to Shambulinga and received theerta prasada.

That's Vittal Shripad Hampiholi, the archaka and caretaker of Sri Ramachandresvara Shambulingesvara Gudi. We chatted about another temple of Kundgol; Harihareshwara Gudi.

We had entered the temple premises from the rear entrance. Vittal Shripad had asked us to check out the temple's front entrance. Here we are looking at an amazing sculpture of a perfectly carved spiral and a large lotus..

There's the temple front entrance, a bit dull looking for such a lovely temple.

Vittal Shripad had asked his brother Malatesh Shripad to introduce us to Ashok Laxman Palande, a senior person of Kundgol who could tell give us some more interesting facts. We headed to Ashok's  home. In fact we ended up spending two more hours at Kindgol.

Link to videos of Shambulingesvara Gudi.

Here's a list of ancient temples of Dharwad district-

1. Somesvara Gudi, Dharwad
2. Banashankari Gudi, Amargol (between Dharwad and Hubli)
3. Chandramouleswara Gudi, Unkal, Hubballi
4. Paarshvanaath Basti, Garag
5. Paarshvanaath Basti, Amminabhavi
6. Amriteshwara Temple, Annigeri, Navalgund Taluk
7. Shambulingesvara Gudi, Kundgol

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Detail: Shambulingesvara Temple, Kundgol