Aralaguppe – The forgotten Hoysala Paradise.



Front view of the temple complex.

It was 2pm when we (my wife Anitha, daughter Mitha and myself) left home for Aralaguppe. This time again we wanted to visit a historical place and Aralaguppe was on the list for a long time. It was closer to our home as there was no need to cross Bengaluru to visit this place! Reviews on wiki were good. And off we went.

Driving to this place from Bengaluru is very easy and quick as the roads NH 4 & 206 are in very good shape. However the first thing you notice after you reach NH206 is that there are no proper directions to this place. There is a board in Kannada telling ‘yeleneeru angadi, Aralaguppe circle, Biligere’ just after you cross KB Cross and Biligere. Take the narrow road to the left between the shop and the petrol bunk. Aralaguppe is 7 kms from this spot after you drive through pot hole filled untarred roads and acres of coconut groves.

Different forms of Vishnu on the walls.

We reached Aralaguppe at 4.15pm and the whole village itself gave us an impression of ancient times! Again there were no proper directions to the temple. The Keshava temple is on the west side of the village facing east. We were the only people in the temple complex except the one so called ‘gatekeeper’. Being a holiday we were surprised to see not many visitors visiting this wonderful historical place. We spent a good 90 minutes clicking away at the beautiful sculptures and discussing about Hindu mythology and Hoysala history. And yet nobody turned up either!

The temple from the north west end.

 The temple is a classical Hoysala architectural wonder dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Built during the reign of Veera Someshwara it dates back to 1250 AD. The temple exhibits grandeur in the form of delicately carved sculptures consisting of the twenty four forms of Vishnu on the outer walls. The stunning Ugra-Narasimha and Lakshmi-Narasimha catch the eye. The pillars in the interior are carved tantalisingly and the shadows make them even more beautiful for the eyes. The sculptures are very well preserved except for some minor damages to the faces.

Delicately carved pillars and their shadows!

The ekashila Shiva-Parvathi.

On the east side of the Village is the pre-Hoysala Nolamba style Kalleshwara temple dating back to the early eleventh Century (AD 1008?). The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located beside a scenic lake. The renovated work takes out the historical significance of the idols in the temple. The ‘modern’ looking granite walls contrast sharply with the beautiful idols of ekashila Shiva – Parvathi, a rarely found and worshipped Suryadeva and the annihilated Chennakeshava.

Another attractive pillar

Of interest is the three dimensional Ashtadikpalakas (on whom the Vaasthu is based) carving on the roof of the western temple. It exhibits a rare sculpture with the dancing Lord Natesha in the centre with the dikpalakas in eight (ashta) directions along with their consorts and different animals as their vehicles. The four vidyadharas with garlands in their hands approach the lord in the centre.     

The ashta dikpalakas.

The rarely worshipped Suryadeva!

The place is no doubt an architectural wonder of historical significance with good online presence. It provides good opportunities to enjoy history, mythology, photography and journey. But what surprised us is that there were no people visiting such a fine place on a general holiday even though the place is so close by to Bengaluru. I only hope people will visit Aralaguppe more often and bask in the Hoysala glory once more. Happy Journey!