Gundlupet talukina Devalayagallu Ondu Samskruthika Adyanna

Abstract

Gundlupet or Gundlupete is a town in the Chamarajanagar district of the Indian State of Karnataka. The most famous temple was built by the Chola King Ballala during AD 1315. Later the Wodeyars dynasty of Mysore who was ardent devotees of Lord Venugopala displayed a keen interest in maintaining the hill temple The Vijayanarayana Temple dates back to the 10th-century rule of the Western Ganga Dynasty, though it has received continuous patronage from later kingdoms as well, up to the 15th century Vijaynagara period. Traditionally, Hoysala Empire King Vishnuvardhana was responsible for the consecration of the deity Vijayanarayana, a version of the Hindu god Narayana/Vishnu. The temple consists of a sanctum (Sukhanasi) that connects the sanctum to the Navaranga (the closed hall where devotees gather for prayers) and an open hall mandapa. The base walls of the Navaranga are built (called adhisthana) has several mouldings. The walls have slender decorative pilasters. The open mandapa that has several ornate pillars appears to have modified the original north-south entrances that existed in the Navaranga (also called Mukhamantapa). The entrance to the temple has an impressive row of yali pillars that depict warriors riding lions. The temple has numerous independent sculptures including Ananta garuda And Hanuman, the monkey god from the Hindu epic Ramayana.