Doddagaddavalli
The
morning was darker than I had expected at 6 AM at Hassan as I began to walk
towards Belur. The northern India was seeing some really cold weather and
perhaps as a result mid-Karnataka was cool. In my mind the distance, 29 KMs
which later turned out to be erroneous, was weighing heavier than the backpack.
I had planned to walk to Belur and on my way wanted to visit Doddagaddavalli,
the first ever Hoysala temple for me.
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| Doddagaddavalli Gopura |
I
was not really sure of what to expect in the next 10 days, the plan with which
I had started. There was no fixed plan, no idea where I would be staying except
a want in my mind to spend the nights in temples and schools. That, as I said,
was only an idea. I had planned to work around the ‘morning ablution’ problem
on the fly.
The
sun rose to my right as I was heading north. The traffic was mild but
sufficiently dense for me to keep an eye over my shoulder. There was a village almost every 5 KMs and
the road was not at all secluded. People were friendly and I broke the walk
every hour or so to sip sweet tea. I also calibrated my pedometer, to the KM
with the number of steps it took.
After
saying hello to numerous children on my way, finally found, after a couple of
hours, an inconspicuous idly shop with name board written in Kannada. It was
probably written by the owner of the idly shop, to save some money, in spite of
the obvious lack of training.
I
started flitting across the road depending upon which side had ample shadow. I stopped
for a break in a shop. An affable old man with sun worn wrinkles, with a tooth
brush in hand and wide grin on his face welcomed me. He asked many questions in
Kannada and finally asked the reason I was walking. In my limited Kannada I
explained to him my ten day plan. I made it a point to hold out my plan so I
will not be able to walk out of it easily. He asked me if it was a pilgrimage
and I said no. He then told that every year he walks with family, mother
included, about 300 KMs, as a matter of fact, as one walker to another. I simpered and moved on. The fate had no plan
to kid-glove me.
About
3 KMs from Hagare, I saw a faded board with a picture of a temple. I surmised,
from the 1114 AD, that this is the path I have to take to Doddagaddahalli. The
distance was 3 KMs and additional 6 KMs to the already planned 30 KMs looked
daunting. I had already started respecting a Kilometer and in the next couple
of days, each step.
There
were no means of transport at that time and I decided to tread on. I climbed a
small hill, thinking that was the road to the temple but could see the first
Hoysala temple from a vantage point, further down the beaten road, next to
water body.
Hoyasala
temples are unique in style. They were built about 700 to 900 years ago, a
little ahead of Islamic invasion. They are built with soap stone, which is
comparatively soft. The sculptures came our quite sharp, depending on the quality
of the stone and normally the high quality, fine grain, dark ones were reserved
for the main portions and deities. Somewhere I had read that Hoyasala Kings had
made about 900 plus temples. I wanted to see how many I could visit.
The
temple is almost hidden between houses but is kept clean and protected by ASI
with its trademark fence. The temple has a Mantap outside its compound with the
lathed pillars. Someone in the Mantap mentioned that the temple is open for
Darshan and I walked in.
Doddagaddavalli
is an unusual temple. I recall that it was my first Hoysala temple and there
was much anticipation, yet I say that even if I have to visit again, it would
still appear unusual.
The
temple is within a rectangular high-wall and you step into it crossing the
Mantap that stood on the outside. The temple itself is shaped like a cross. As
you enter on to your left is the ‘Garba graha’ of Kali in her fiery red attire.
(Though the deity was Maha Kali, the temple is known as Sri Lakshmi temple) She
is guarded by two fierce looking men with handlebar moustache and most fecund
looking testes. Lord shiva occupies the’
Garba Graha’ right opposite to Maha Kali on the longer side of the cross and on
either side, towards Shiva’s side are Vishnu and Lakshmi. This is very
Dravidian deities housed in Hoysala architecture.
This
looks like an early idea of a temple. If one stands at the midpoint of the
cross, all the four deities can be seen.
The temple is small but extremely beautiful. On hindsight, I realize though
I had been there, yet have missed much of it.
It
was mid-day and I was hungry with nothing to eat. The application in my mobile
told me that I can cut across uncharted road and reach Hassan-Belur road ahead
of where I took the diversion. It turned out to be true. I reached the road in
short time and stopped for lunch. I had walked about 25 KMs already and decided
to take a bus to Belur.
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