Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Nuggehalli

Karnataka , Hassan, Bengaluru

The Lakshmi Narasimha temple was built in 1246 CE by Bommanna Dandanayaka, a commander in the Hoysala Empire during he rule of King Vira Someshwara. It is a good example of 13th century Hoysala architecture. The Temple is located in Nuggehalli, a town in Hassan district of Karnataka, India on the Tiptur-Channarayapatna state highway and is about 50 km from Hassan city. It is well connected by road with Bangalore. The Lakshmi Narasimha temple has Lord Narasimha with Goddess Lakshmi who is the wife of Lord Vishnu.

Architecture

This temple is a good example of a richly decorated Hoysala temple. It has three towers, the vimana which has intricately carved wall sculptures but from outside, the temple actually looks like a single tower and shrine temple because the two lateral shrines are simple extensions of the wall of the mantapa. The material used is Soapstone and the temple is built on a jagati (platform) that closely follows the plan of the temple. The central shrine has five projections per side and the tower is complete though without the kalasha (decorative structure on top).Since the shrine is square in plan, the topping roof (a helmet like sculptured stone) follows the same plan. There are three tiers of decorative smaller roofs bearing their own kalasa that form the body of the main tower. The two lateral shrines also have five projections per side. The top of these shrines and the wall of the mantapa are crowned with a row of decorated roofs just like the main shrine.

Picture Courtesy : commons.wikimedia.org

Darsan Info

Temple timings : Morning 7:30 A.M till Evening 5:30 P.M

Darsan Dresscode

Wear clean and conservative clothing while visiting the Temple.

Famous Festival

Vykunta eekadasi

Culture

The culture of this place is fascinating and captivating. It tells us about the people of the place, their lifestyle and their beliefs. The festivals, the events, the attractions, all reflect the culture of Hassan in one way or the other. Tourism has picked up in the last decade or so and the local people are generally quite friendly towards the tourists.