Luckystreak
April 13th, 2005, 10:19 AM
Somnathpur is a tiny village on the banks of the Kaveri, 140 kms, south-west of Bangalore. Here in this everlasting rural stillness, like a milestone to eternity, stood one of the last and the grandest of Hoysala monuments - the Kesava Temple built 740 years ago.
The magnificent temple was completed and consecrated in 1268 A.D. The shrine stands in the middle of a walled compound, around which runs an open verandah with 64 cells. The temple itself, stellar in shape, has three profusely carved pinnacles with a common Navranga and stands on a raised platform. The three sanctums once housed beautifully carved idols of Kesava, Janardhana and Venugopala. Today the idol of Lord Kesava is missing, but the other two still adorn the sanctums in their original form.
http://img141.echo.cx/img141/5674/11hj.jpg
http://img80.echo.cx/img80/2307/20zt.jpg
http://img240.echo.cx/img240/1166/38vl.jpg
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[IMG]http://img212.echo.cx/img212/4320/115io.jpg
http://img111.echo.cx/img111/3609/129qr.jpg
http://img220.echo.cx/img220/3185/137yd.jpg
http://img111.echo.cx/img111/2131/147mu.jpg
http://img211.echo.cx/img211/3246/158xd.jpg
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http://img143.echo.cx/img143/5324/173hg.jpg
http://img206.echo.cx/img206/9167/187wf.jpg
http://img129.echo.cx/img129/900/192qn.jpg
The magnificent temple was completed and consecrated in 1268 A.D. The shrine stands in the middle of a walled compound, around which runs an open verandah with 64 cells. The temple itself, stellar in shape, has three profusely carved pinnacles with a common Navranga and stands on a raised platform. The three sanctums once housed beautifully carved idols of Kesava, Janardhana and Venugopala. Today the idol of Lord Kesava is missing, but the other two still adorn the sanctums in their original form.
http://img141.echo.cx/img141/5674/11hj.jpg
http://img80.echo.cx/img80/2307/20zt.jpg
http://img240.echo.cx/img240/1166/38vl.jpg
http://img201.echo.cx/img201/1872/47eu.jpg
http://img202.echo.cx/img202/2220/57nm.jpg
http://img93.echo.cx/img93/7847/63st.jpg
http://img210.echo.cx/img210/2857/78jt.jpg
http://img210.echo.cx/img210/6673/96bp.jpg
[IMG]http://img212.echo.cx/img212/4320/115io.jpg
http://img111.echo.cx/img111/3609/129qr.jpg
http://img220.echo.cx/img220/3185/137yd.jpg
http://img111.echo.cx/img111/2131/147mu.jpg
http://img211.echo.cx/img211/3246/158xd.jpg
http://img153.echo.cx/img153/2246/167nx.jpg
http://img143.echo.cx/img143/5324/173hg.jpg
http://img206.echo.cx/img206/9167/187wf.jpg
http://img129.echo.cx/img129/900/192qn.jpg