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Carving the Images

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A closer look at the panels containing standing images will reveal that there are some smaller images too. Such images will be more than two in many cases. For the purpose of creating the images, initially a Square Grid is divided into sixteen equal squares. These squares are then grouped into six segments as below : The central four squares are called the BRAHMA BHAAGA, where the body of the main image will be carved ; Two squares on top of Brahma Bhaaga are used for depicting the crown of the image and are called DEVA SHIROBHAAGA ; Two bottom squares below the Brahma Bhaaga are used for carving the vehicle of, or the pedestal for the image and are called VAAHANA or PEETHA BHAAGA ; Two squares on either side of the Brahma Bhaaga are for the consorts of the main image and are called the DEVI BHAAGA ; Two bottom squares - one on either side of the Vaahana Bhaaga - are used for locating the images of the worshipping devotees and are called BHAKT

Taalamaana (ತಾಲಮಾನ) System

The ancient Indian art of sculpture had its own norms of measures and proportions called the TAALAMAANA SYSTEM. Two systems of measures and proportions were in vogue namely : The MAANAANGULA SYSTEM ; and The DEHALABHDAANGULA SYSTEM or the SYSTEM OF DERIVED PROPORTIONS. For the images on the Outer walls of the temple, the Dehalabhdaangula System was normally used. It is a system where the stone selected for carving is divided into a number of equal parts and each such part is called a TAALA. If the selected piece is divided into nine equal parts the division shall be known as NAVATAALA and if it is divided into ten equal parts it shall be DASHATAALA. The face of the main image shall be made equal to the length of the TAALA so derived. Each such TAALA is subdivided into twelve equal parts and each such part is called an ANGULA. So where the height of the image is NAVA TAALA, the selected stone shall be divided into 108 of its own Angulas. That TAALA and

The Outer Wall

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The Outer Wall The picture above is a section of the OUTER WALL of the temple under study. The portion where the standing images are seen is the central part of the wall, the vertical sections of which are divided by alternatively projecting and recessing the same throughout. The Outer walls of a Hoysala Temple usually take two shapes : Those which are relieved by pilasters or KUDYA STAMBHAS ( ಕುಡ್ಯ ಸ್ತಂಭಗಳು ) and niches or KOSHTAS ( ಕೋಷ್ಠಗಳು ) ; and Those which are adorned with the images of gods, goddesses etc. The central portion of the outer walls of the temple under study has adopted the second pattern i.e., it is adorned with images of gods, goddesses etc. The images are about 3'3" in height from the base to the TORANA ( ತೋರಣ ). In the base can be found scroll work, or Garuda, or lion face or kirtimukha. The toranas have creepers. The images are in the NAVA TAALA (more about it later) measure.

The Adhishthaana

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ADHISHTHAANA ( ಅಧಿಷ್ಠಾನ ) The picture above is the ADHISHTHAANA ( ಅಧಿಷ್ಠಾನ ) of the LAKSHMI NARASIMHA TEMPLE at Nuggehalli. The outer walls of a Hoysala Temple are of three types namely : Plain walls; Plain walls with pilasters, niches and turrets bearing miniature shikharas;  and Very ornate walls. Irrespective of the ornamental details, the WALL PROPER of a Hoysala temple can be divided into three vertical sections namely : the BANDS or the PATTIKAS ( ಪಟ್ಟಿಕೆಗಳು ) at the base, the WALL PROPER (from the top of the basement to the eaves) and the PARAPET. The lowest part of the wall proper is called ADHISHTAANA or AADHAARA ( ಆಧಾರ ) i.e., BASEMENT. It comprises of five to eight bands or PATTIKAS ( ಪಟ್ಟಿಕೆಗಳು ) and are laid one above the other. They are usually separated by deep recesses. The ADHISHTAANA of the temple under study has six PATTIKAS ( ಪಟ್ಟಿಕೆಗಳು ) with friezes. At the bottom is the ELEPHANT FRIEZE ( ಆನೆ ಪಟ್ಟಿಕೆ ). The elephants are c

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

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Lakshmi Narasimha Temple The temple in the picture is the rear portion of the LAKSHMI NARASIMHA TEMPLE, at NUGGEHALLI, which is approximately 20 kilometers from CHANNARAYAPATTANA in Hassan district of Karnataka. Nuggehalli, formerly known as VIJAYA SOMANATHAPURA has two HOYSALA STRUCTURES: the temple under study now and the SADASIVA TEMPLE. The LAKSHMI NARASIMHA TEMPLE was consecrated in SHALIVAHANA SHAKA 1168 (Paraabhava samvatsara, Chaitra Shukla Panchami, Wednesday) corresponding to A.D.1246. The temple under study is a three celled structure i.e., a TRIKOOTA housing KESHAVA (facing east) in the central Cell, VENUGOPALA (facing north) to the right of Keshava and LAKSHMI NARASIMHA (facing south) to the left of Keshava. Though the temple has three ARCHA IMAGES i.e, images that are worshipped it is referred to as LAKSHMI NARASIMHA TEMPLE. The temple stands on a platform called JAGATI ( ಜಗತಿ ) (in the picture you see a few people sitting on the JAGATI). The JAGATI follows th