ಕ್ಷಣಪ್ರಭಾ - Kshanaprabhaa

If you have to pick one temple where the sculptor extraordinaire Mallitamma has left his impression in an unforgettable manner, it must be at the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple , Nuggehalli. Quite literally too, as he has signed off most of the images on the outer walls with his name under them. He is accompanied in building this temple by another noted sculptor of those times, Baichoja , in finishing this extravagantly beautiful trikuta temple, a few meters away from the Bhumija style temple of Sadashiva . The main deity of the temple is Lakshmi Narasimha, and it also houses Venugopala and Keshava in the other two sanctums. One of the most remarkable aspects of this temple is the clear indication you get about the 24 aspects of Vishnu through the artistic brilliance of Mallitamma. The forms, beginning with Keshava, Narayana, Madhava, Govinda, etc. are all depicting the 24 different permutations in which Vishnu can hold the disc, the conch, the club and the lotus among his four ha...

There is a charm about this temple that one can't find in many other temples of the Hoysala period, and that is evident right at the very first glance. The Sadashiva Temple at Nuggehalli , a town on the Channarayapatna-Tiptur state highway, is a rare architecture built with a Bhumija style shrine that is more popular in Western India. Also known as the Hoysala Nagara style, there is an inevitable ultra modern look to the main ekakuta shrine that almost reminds you of some spaceship that has just landed. The remarkable nature of the shrine is in its symmetry, which is the hallmark of Hoysala architecture, irrespective of the style they have followed. The temple was constructed in 1249 AD by Bommanna Dandanayaka , a commander in the court of Hoysala king Veera Someshwara . Nuggehalli was definitely an important hub of that period, with another major architectural marvel, Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, also coming up around the same time there. The place was a happening agrah...