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Showing posts from August, 2015

Lost temples of Karnataka: Kikkeri, Govindanahalli, Hosaholalu, Kallahalli

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  Overview: We continued our exploration of hidden Hoysala gems into interior Karnataka. This time we did Kikkeri and Govindanahalli. Kikkeri is a very small village in Mandya district. The pillars and carvings of the Brahmeshwara temple are typical of Hoysala architecture. Though the overall structure looks even older, like the ones built during the Ganga dynasty. As per the locals its a 12th century temple. It has a dried out 'kalyani' and a small lake just outside the temple adds to the beauty.       From Kikkeri we went to Govindanahalli, known for Panchalingeshwara temple. Its a small and beautiful temple with exquisite Hoysala architecture, built around the same time as the temple in Kikkeri. The temple was not crowded and we were the only visitors to the place for the morning.        Next we went to Hosaholalu, 20kms south of Govindanahalli. The Lakshminarayana temple was the best for the day as far as the stories carved out of the temple walls were amazing. This temp