ಕ್ಷಣಪ್ರಭಾ - Kshanaprabhaa

There was a survey that asked the question: “What brings you back to work every day?” Not getting into what I had answered for the survey, there certainly have been various reasons at various stages that have kept me going, ranging from the challenges of work, the exposure it gives, the opportunities to learn and do new things every day, and the people at the top who are the guiding force. All these continue to be true, but for the last year and a half though, the primary reason has been only one thing – that of working closely with some of the best people I have ever met. This has been an extremely rewarding experience, so much so that I feel I ought to do it some justice by blogging and sharing some of the creative content which got generated through this alliance. The dedication, focus and integrity of a Chandana, the perseverance and inquisitiveness of an Ajay, the agility and the big picture perspective of a Sumit, the pursuit of perfection and attention to detail of an A...

Matighatta is a village in the Channarayapatna taluq of Hassan district, and is situated about 7 kms away from the world famous Jain pilgrim centre, Sravana Belagola. This village, which is close to my heart as it also happens to be my maternal grandparents' place, might very well be home to an ancient Hoysala temple. I say "might be", because it is not clear whether the Someshwara temple situated on the outskirts of the village belongs to their era or not, despite having the typical Hoysala emblem on top of the sanctum sanctorum. The old temple was renovated a couple of years back with the help of the Sri Manjunatheshwara Dharmotthana Trust of Dharmasthala, and the whole renovation campaign was spearheaded by my maternal uncle and retired teacher, S. Nagarajaiah. The scenic beauty of the coconut farms surrounding the temple premises makes it a place worth the visit. Here's a photo collection, as usual:

The village Koravangala must have been a happening town during the Hoysala regime, for it had at least three temples built during those times. Along with the still-standng-strong Bucheshwara temple , the twin temples of Nakeshwara and Govindeshwara built in 1160 AD by the brothers of Buchi Raja, are also present. They are in a state of ruins and are neglected by the authorities, and what is disheartening further, is the fact that they have tried restoring the twin temples back to their former state of glory, but the renovation work has stopped midway, long ago. A few pictures of the ruined temple complex: Nakeshwara and Govindeshwara Temples, Koravangala from hmvprasanna on Vimeo .

Continuing on from the Marle Hoysala temple visit, standing next to the Keshava temple is the Siddeshwara temple , another ekakuta shrine housing the Shiva linga named Siddeshwara in its sanctum sanctorum. Also inside the temple is a slightly broken statue of Ganesha. Outer walls of the temple differ significantly from the Keshava temple in that it has carvings of Vishnu's dashavatara, and other usual carvings we see in majority of the Hoysala temples. This fact puts to question the theory of both the temples having been constructed around the same time, since their design differ so much from each other. There stands a huge unprotected inscription that might hold answers to these doubts and more details about the lifestyle during the early Hoysala period, but with the neglect from authorities reducing the temple complex to cattle grazing yard and hideout for anti-social elements, this piece of history would soon bite the dust, although, I wish something is done soon to prevent tha...

Marle is a picturesque little village situated 12 kilometers away from the city of Chikkamagalur, and is host to what could probably be the first twin temples built during the Hoysala regime. Standing next to each other, in what could easily be referred to as neglected state, the temples of Keshava and Siddeshwara, convey the religious harmony that existed during the Hoysala regime. Believed to be built in 1130 AD during the reign of King Vishnuvardhana, the ekakuta Keshava temple is characterized by the floral and miniature shrine designs on the outer walls that resemble the Doddagaddavalli temple, and is devoid of any sculptures of the gods and mythological characters. Here is a small video that showcases some of the temple's features: Keshava Temple, Marle from hmvprasanna on Vimeo .

With my Hoysala expedition briefly back on track, here's an update on my recent visit to Koravangala, a village 9 kms away from Hassan. This village is home to 3 temples of Hoysala period, two of which are in a state of disarray. This post, though, is about the ekakuta temple that stands tall within the small lakeside village, named the Bucheshwara Temple , built in 1173 AD by the prime minister of King Ballala, The Second, Buchi Raja . It houses the Shiva Linga named Bucheshwara in its only main sanctum sanctorum, and exactly opposite to this is a sanctum housing Suryanarayana , the Sun god. Also next to this is an enclosure housing Kala Bhairava , which has been locked out for a long time now. Unique to this temple are the external carvings that showcase the story of Prahlada and Hiranyakashipu, with all the tortures Prahlada was subjected to, in order to make him forget Hari, the god he believed in. The long lonely walk along the banks of the Koravangala lake that takes o...

About half a kilometer away from the Hoysaleshwara temple of Halebidu , and adjacent to the Jinalaya complex of Basadihalli , stands the little known Kedareshwara temple . This trikuta temple is no inferior to the other masterpieces in and around the region, but has somehow lost attention of the authorities and tourists alike. Known to be built in 1220 AD , this temple is always locked these days, but in the middle of the day, there is enough sunlight that allows the visitors to get a sneak peek into the temple's beauty, and the Kedareshwara linga in the main sanctum becomes clearly visible. Outer carvings are as majestic as the Hoysaleshwara temple, with many a stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata coming alive through the friezes that run around the star shaped basement. Here is a look at the temple's beauty: Kedareshwara Temple, Halebidu from hmvprasanna on Vimeo .

Just noticed that the Carnatic music season has begun this week at Fort High School, Chamarajapete, Bangalore with the Rama Navami concerts, and that reminded me of the concert I attended a couple of months ago, of the "Heartbeat Ensemble", led by Ghatam S. Karthick, consisting of Embar S. Kannan on Violin, whizkid K. Sathyanarayana on Keyboard, Poongulam Subramanian on Mridangam and Arun Kumar on Drums. Needless to say, the renditions and experiments of the group were mesmerizing, and the lyricist in Karthik, composer in Kannan were also in full display. A couple of snippets that I recorded from the concert: Ghatam Karthick's Heart Beat Ensemble: Raga Jog from hmvprasanna on Vimeo . Ghatam Karthick's Heart Beat Ensemble: Medley from hmvprasanna on Vimeo .

After a longish break, its time to catch up on a few of my pending blog assignments, specially a few Hoysala expeditions I had carried out last November, which have not yet been written about. So here goes, back with possibly the most beautiful and the most historically important of all the Hoysala temples, The Hoysaleshwara and Shantaleshwara twin temples at Halebidu , at Hassan district of Karnataka. Halebidu, which is now a quiet, but well known town in southern Karnataka, was once the power center of southern India, serving as the capital of the mighty Hoysalas for most of their reign. Known as Dwarasamudra and Dwaravati during those days, the city of Halebidu was ruined towards the end of 14th century when the rulers of north stared expanding their reach across India. However, the Hoysaleshwara temple stands tall having withered multiple storms of cultural oppression, and is testimony to the pinnacle of artistry of the sculptors of those times. The temple itself is known to have b...

The Veera Narayana temple at Belavadi, a village in Chikkamagalur district of Karnataka, is an epitome of symmetry. This trikuta Hoysala temple built in 1206 AD, houses Veera Narayana as the main deity, with Venugopala and Yoganarasimha in the the other two sanctum sanctorums. The temple is characterized by over a hundred neatly carved and designed pillars, and a lot of elephant statues of various shapes and sizes. The Tulunadu style enclosure at the entrance and the stone roof tops of the main temple are unique to this temple, and the statues of the three deities are outstandingly beautiful. Although the Channakeshava temple of Belur, Hoysaleshwara temple of Halebidu and Keshava temple of Somanathapura come right up in th list of the most beautiful temples of Hoysala period and architecture, this temple at Belavadi is in no way inferior to any of the former three. The village itself has its place in mythology, with the Ekachakranagara of Mahabharata times, where Bakasu...

Continuing from Part 1 , here is more from the cultural programmes that happened on the sidelines of the World Samskrit Book Fair . On Saturday, 8th January, 2011, 1003rd edition of "Kavyachitra" was conducted at the Kuvempu Kalakshetra, Bangalore, in association with Samskara Bharati and Abhinaya Bharati. Kavyachitra refers to a cultural entertainment model where a poet and an artist take up challenges from each other, audience, and experts to create poetry and paintings on the spot. Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh was in charge of the "Kavya" part with Artist B. K. S. Varma took up "Chitra". Varma is credited with making painting, a form of "performing art". Some pictures (click on them for larger versions) and videos from the mesmerizing two hour event are below: Pictures: 1. Varma drawing Sarswati using colour soaked thread: 2. R. Ganesh concentrating on Varma's masterly work: 3. Flautist Venugopal also forgets to play his flute, enchanted...

I had been to the World Samskrit Book Fair that is going on at Bangalore from 6th to 10th January, 2011, and here are some updates from that: On 6th January 2011, day 1 of the fair, "Jnanaganga", an exhibition on the knowledge heritage of India was inaugurated by former India cricket captain Anil Kumble , and a model of "Samskrit Village" , where all interactions happen through Samskrit, was inaugurated by Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri , the primary and secondary education minister of the Govt. Of Karnataka. Also attending the occation were N. Gopalaswamy , former Chief Election Commisioner of India, and industrialst Sadanand Mayya . Also at the end of day one, was classical singing by Vidwan Vidyabhushana. Photos from the formal function (click on images for enlarged versions): Photos of the Samskrit Village and Exhibitions (click on images for enlarged versions): Video of Anil Kumble's speech (some unavoidable movements while recording) Anil ...