A Temple Town

On the banks of the river Sita is a quaint village called Barkur. The Alupas who reigned in provinces of coastal Karnataka established Barkur as the capital and a hub for trade and commerce. Art and culture flourished under the patronage of the kings of the Alupa, Hoysala and Vijayanagar dynasties. It is said that there were 365 temples in Barkur and that the king visited one temple each day of the year. Temples and keris or large tanks beside the temple are a common sight at Barkur. Most of what remains to this day are the structures constructed between the 13th and 16th centuries.

Here are a few pictures from my visit to a village which has etched it's name in history.


The aesthetic interiors of the famous Chowlikeri Temple which is entirely hewn out of stone.



During the Ranga Puja at the Anjaneya Temple at Saligrama, I looked on as devotees emptied tins of oil into the diyas.



The architecture of the newly constructed temples at the Anegudda Temple Complex at Kumbhasi is stylish and innovative.



Eloquently carved bells of various shapes and sizes can be spotted in almost all the temples in and around Barkur.



This Basava(or holy bull) is made of a special stone. It is believed that anyone who tries to wash this basava will hurt their fingers.



This was shot at the site of the Kathale Basadi. Kathale means darkness and basadi denotes a Jain shrine.