Angadi Sri Chennakeshava Temple, Karnataka

Address

Angadi Sri Chennakeshava Temple, Angadi, Karnataka 577132

Diety

Chennakeshava

Introduction

About 18 kilometers from Mudigere, this village is known today as Angadi and lies nestled between coffee plantations and open fields of the Western Ghats. The Durga temple still stands, as witness to the legend of the Hoysalas. he ruins of a Chennakesava temple here similar to the Belur temple. The Chennakesava temple, along with Patalarudreshwara and Mallikarjuna lay absolutely in ruins. The structures were being laid by the ASI workers who had just begun restoring these temples. The idols and sculptures were kept safely, especially the Chennakesava which stood in all its glory in the glare of the setting sun, the broken pillars gazing at the strewn idols. when a dynasty was laying its foundation stone in a small village.

Puranic Significance

The origin of Hoysalas; The Hoysalas were not born kings but they ruled for 300 years . They were natives of Malnad, Karnataka and were tribal chiefs who were subordinates of the Western Chalukyas. Some inscriptions show them as lords of the Male (hills) while some indicate that they were descendants of the Yadava clan. Historically though the first Hoysala family record is dated 950 and names Arekalla as the chieftain, followed by Maruga and Nripa Kama I (976). But the kings who shaped the dynasties were Vishnuvardhan and Veera Bhallalla who became independent from the Chalukyas Vishnuvardhan established his supremacy by defeating the Cholas in Talakadu. Historians claim that the story behind the Hoysala crest is a symbolic interpretation of this victory as the tiger, a symbol of the Cholas is shown subdued by a soldier.