ಕ್ಷಣಪ್ರಭಾ - Kshanaprabhaa

Shrine of the Yadatore Arkeshwara Temple , near Krishnarajanagara Kaveri beginning to fill up the Chunchanakatte Falls as rains slash southern Karnataka Old Lakshmi Narasimha Temple shines amid calm nature at Akkihebbalu Flowers in the garden of the Akkihebbalu Lakshmi Narasimha Temple 57 foot monolith of Bahubali atop the Vindhyagiri Hill at Shravanabelagola , as seen from far away Kalyani at the Malekal Tirupati , Arasikere The majestic Amaragiri Hill of Malekal Tirupati Greenery in the inner premises of the Malekal Tirupati Srinivasa Temple An abandoned old stole sculpture at Haratanahalli, Arasikere Young goats get ready to lock horns at Haratanahalli Blue tailed bee-eater at Kondavagilu, Arasikere Another bird (?) enjoys the calmness around the coconut farms at Kondavagilu Greenery at Muttatti Forests Indian Macaque Family at Muttatti Calm and clean Kaveri...

The town of Arasikere is not only home to the Shivalaya, built by King Veera Ballala the II , but is also the place where little known Sahasrakuta Jinalaya , a Jain Basadi of the same period still thrives. Both the Shivalaya and Sahasrakuta Jinalaya are believed to have been established in 1220 AD , during the peak reign of Ballala the Second. The Jinalaya gets its name because of the intricately carved ' Sahastrakuta Jina bimba ', containing 1008 tiny representations of Jinas on a monolithic towering pillar inside the sanctum sanctorum. Records indicate that this temple was constructed by Rechana, also known as  Dandanayaka Rechimayya , a General of Ballala, and a devout Jain. Although the entire outer structure - the walls and the shrine - have been relaid over the years, the inner beauty still retains the brilliance of the Hoysala architecture at its best. The Bhuvaneshwaris that adorn the roof tops are as beautiful as you would find in any temple of the Hoysa...

Back after a long hiatus is my Hoysala expedition, restarting fittingly from our ancestral native place, Arasikere , a taluk head quarters in Hassan district, Karnataka.  Shivalaya on the outskirts of the town resembles the shape of a shiva linga from far away, and is one of the unsung architectural marvels of the Hoysala period.  Constructed during the period of Veera Ballala II , this Chandramoulishwara temple dates back to 1220 AD , and its beauty is concentrated at the specially constructed navaranga , and the bhuvaneshwari design on top of it. Here is a video of a compilation of photographs I took there when I visited last week: Chandramoulishwara Temple, Arasikere from hmvprasanna on Vimeo .