Temple Art & Architecture of Davanagere District – a Study
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Temple Art & Architecture of Davanagere District – A Study *Dr.Thippeswamy.H, Associate Professor of History, Dept of History and Archaeology Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University - Ballari Abstract Situated in the foothills of the Western Ghats, Davangere city lies in the state of Karnataka in India. Earlier this place was known for its textile business’ and cotton mills but now it’s famous for education and a prominent center for business and economy. Davangere district was established in 1997 after it separated itself from Chitradurga. A survey of the religious phenomenon in the Indian context from the perspective of space and time reveals that it was never static but constantly underwent modifications by assimilating and absorbing new features of practices and worship. Sanatanadharma, the forerunner of the later day Hinduism, advocated Jnana, Vairagya, Bhakti and Karma paths to reach God, while Jnana and Vairagya paths were followed by superior intellectual groups, the Karma and Bhakti paths are followed by common folk.It is a well-known fact of history that Vedic Yagnas, worship of primitive deities with offering of blood, meat and toddy, the domestic rituals and worship of icon in temples of Davangere, heterodox beliefs like Jainism and Buddhism flourished side by side, sometimes competing for space and sometimes adjusting, accommodating and absorbing other rituals into its fold.We have already noted that initiation of puranic dharma in the Gupta and post-Gupta era along with devotionalism of an individual God – Siva and Vishnu and Sakthi worship revived the age-old Bhakti Marga as a popular way to attain God and to achieve liberation. It is to be noted that the Bhakti movement evolved in the South due to the efforts of saints, was different from the early Bhagavata cult of northern India. There is no unanimity among scholars regarding the nature of the Bhakti cult. K.A.N. Sastri observes that this movement was strongly theistic in its character and definitely aimed at putting down Jainism and Buddhism in Davangere. R. Champakalakshmi points out that the religious changes of the 7th to 9th centuries are hence viewed as a revival of orthodox forms, though not strictly a revival of Vedic religion per se. The Bhakti movement in Davangere has often been characterized as a popular movement of dissent or protest against the social hierarchy of the Brahmanical order. Prsesnt paper looks at the temple architecture of Davangere district Keywords— Davangere, Bhakti cult, temple, Siva and Vishnu and Sakthi, Gupta, chalukya Volume IX Issue VI JUNE 2020 Page No : 11 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Introduction Bhakti movement represented an ideology which sought to reflect and legitimize the emerging socio- political order which developed as an unpremeditated by-product of the new Brahmanical agrarian settlements centred on temples, partly as a means of fulfilling their missions and partly as an antithesis. Whatever may have been the objective and nature of the Bhakti movement, an ardent personalized devotion to Siva and Vishnu become deep-rooted in the psyche of the common people. The Saiva saints are known as Nayanars and the Vishnava saints are known as Alvars. We have references to 63 Nayanars and 12 Alvars. Soul-stirring songs 158 The Post-Gupta Period in the Deuan and the Peninsula were composed in Tamil in praise of Siva and Vishnu and sung in temples. The most important of the Nayanars were Tirunavakkarasu, a Vellala, Jnanasambandar, a Brahmin and Sundaramurthi, another Brahman. Nambi Anadr collected the hymns of the above three in a canonical work called Theuaram.Another Saint Nayanar Manikkavasagar was also very popular. We also come across a female Nayanar from Karaikkal, Nandanar, and a pariah, whose hymns attracted the attention of many devotees. The well-known Vaishnav Alvars were Nammalvar, Timmankaialvar and well-respected and revered woman-poet Andal. The Vaishanav saints’ compositions are collected in a canonical work called Nalayirajaprabandham. Although there were some Brahmins, among the saints, most of them were of the lower castes, belonging to the community of cultivators and artisans. The sacred texts of the Divyaprabhandam reveal that Vaishnavism had its major centres in the northern and southemmost parts of Tamil Nadu and a few in the Kaveri region. Contrary to the Vaishnava impact the Saiva centres had their greatest concentration in the Chola region, i.e., Kaveri valley, in around the Pallava and Pandya capitals Kanchipuram and Madurai and their centres appear to be more than the Vishnava centres. By the time of the Cholas, Saiva centres proliferated beyond the Kaveri region.Saivism could acquire a more popular and stronger base through the incorporation of mother-goddess worship, along with tribal and popular forms of worship. The inclusion of Murugan, a tribal deity into the Saiva pantheon was also a clever move which made Saivism very popular. While Saivism gained ground among agricultural and artisanal groups belonging to lower social order, Vaishnavism was popular among the dominant peasant groups and ruling elite. Innumerable lithic records and some copper plates and literary texts like Vikramankadevacharita, Manasoltasa and Vikramankabhyudctya of Bhulokamalla Somevara, Mitakshara of Vignaneswara, Merutunga’s Prabandhachintamani and Ranna’s Gadayuddha and Ajitapurana are very helpful to a student of history in reconstructing the historical and cultural edifice of the times of Kalyani Chalukyas. Volume IX Issue VI JUNE 2020 Page No : 12 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 The sacred texts of the Divyaprabhandam reveal that Vaishnavism had its major centres in the northern and southemmost parts of Tamil Nadu and a few in the Kaveri region. Contrary to the Vaishnava impact the Saiva centres had their greatest concentration in the Chola region, i.e., Kaveri valley, in around the Pallava and Pandya capitals Kanchipuram and Madurai and their centres appear to be more than the Vishnava centres. By the time of the Cholas, Saiva centres proliferated beyond the Kaveri region.Saivism could acquire a more popular and stronger base through the incorporation of mother-goddess worship, along with tribal and popular forms of worship. The inclusion of Murugan, a tribal deity into the Saiva pantheon was also a clever move which made Saivism very popular. While Saivism gained ground among agricultural and artisanal groups belonging to lower social order, Vaishnavism was popular among the dominant peasant groups and ruling elite. Objective: The present paper seeks to study the architecture of Davangere temples in historical context and contributions of various kingdoms to the development of temple architecture. Historical setting The Chalukyas of Kalyani claim to be the close kith and kin of the Vatapi Chalukyas. But the origin of this family is debatable. After a close study of the available evidences, B.R. Gopal held the view that the Chalukayas were an indigenous Kannada family belonging to the occupation of agriculture and military background, who settled in and around and the Badami region. B.R. Gopal further thinks the word Chalukya is an archaic Kannada term. The founder of the Chalukyas of Kalyani line Tailapa II, who was a feudatory of Rashtrakuta Krishna III, declared independence and started his reign from AD 973. He ruled for a period of 24 years from AD 973 to 997 and is credited with victories over Chedi, Orissa, Nepal and Kuntala. He is also said to have killed Munja, the Paramara ruler of Malwa. Taila was succeeded by his son Satyasraya, who claims to have won a victory over a Chola invader. Satyasraya was followed in succession by Vikramaditya V, Jayasimha I and Jagadekamalla. Jagadekamalla claims to have defeated Paramara Bhoja, the ruler of Malwa and the ruler of Chedi and Rajendra of the Chola line. Volume IX Issue VI JUNE 2020 Page No : 13 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Jagadekamalla was followed by Somesvara I who ruled from AD 1042 to 1068 with the titles of Ahavamalla and Trailokyamalla. Bilhana in his Vikramankadevacharita states that Somesvara I built the city of Kalyana and made it his capital. V. Venkataraya Sastry is of the view that Kalyana appears to have been in existence even during the reign of Jayasimha II and was one of his Nelavidus or Skandhavaras. As Sankaracharya in his Soundrayalahari mentions the city of Kalyana as great Devipitha, it can be safely surmised that Somesvara I made Kalyana a well guarded city and shifted his capital to Kalyana in the longer and larger interest of the safety from the invaders. Jayasimha Jagadekamalla’s records refer to Etagiri, Kolhapur, Poltalakera or Patancheruvu, Kolippakai as Nelavidus or Skandhavaras or capitals and further a record dated AD 1044 refers to Pottalakere as the capital of Somesvara I. B.R. Gopal is of the view that it was only after AD 1044 that the capital was shifted to Kalyani, now in the Bidar district of the Karnataka region 48 miles north-east from Malkhed, the capital of the Rashtrakutas. Somesvara I carried on the struck with the contemporary Chola power. While the Chalukyas claim victory over the Cholas, the Cholas stoutly deny it. Chola epigraphs claim that Somesvara I was defeated at Koppam in AD 1055 and again at Kudalasangamam in AD 1061. It appears that Dharavarsha, the Nagavamsi ruler of Chakrakuta accepted his supremacy and the territories of Kosala and Kalinga were occupied by him. After Somesvara I, his son Somesvara II became the ruler with the title of Bhuvanaikamalla and ruled till AD 1076. From Bilhana, we come to know that Somesvara I wanted to make his second son Vikramaditya his successor and after the refusal of the offer by Vikramaditya, Somesvara II was made the ruler. The Chalukyas of Kalyani patronized fine arts. An epigraph dated in AD 1045 refers to the construction of a Natakasala or theatre in the premises of a Jaina temple.