Gaurishvara Temple, Yelandur

Gaurishvara Temple
Hindu temple
View of the Mahadwara, Gaurishvara temple (1500 AD)
Country	India
State	Karnataka
District	Chamarajanagar District
Languages
• Official	Kannada
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)

The Gaurishvara Temple (also spelt Gaurishwara or Gaurisvara) is located in the town of Yelandur, Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka state, India. The temple was constructed by a local chief Singedepa Devabhupala of the Hadinadu chiefdom, a feudatory of the 16th century Vijayanagara Empire.

Architectural features

The temple plan is simple. It has a sanctum (garbhagriha), a closed hall (mantapa), an open hall supported by granite pillars, and an unusual mahadwara (grand entrance) which lacks the usual tower (gopuram) over it. This type of a entrance is called bale mantapa (lit, bangled hall) in contemporary style. The sanctum contains the linga, the universal symbol of the Hindu god Shiva. The closed hall has images of various Hindu deities; Vishnu, Shanmukha, Parvati, Mahishasuramardini (a form of the goddess Durga), Bhairava (a form of the god Shiva), Durga, Virabhadra (another form of Shiva) and Ganapati. The walls of the entrance are heavily decorated with relief depicting scenes from the puranic stories and the epics. An unusual decoration provided to the entrance are the chains of stone rings (bale).

Gallery

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  17th century Kannada inscription at Gaurishvara temple

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  17th century Kannada inscription at the Gaurishvara temple

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  Ornate pillars inside the bale mantapa (lit, bangled hall)

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  Wall relief sculpture at the Gaurishvara temple

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  Wall relief sculpture at the Gaurishvara temple