The
Sowmyakeshava temple (also spelt Soumyakeshava) at Nagamangala was constructed
in the 12th century by the rulers of the Hoysala empire. Nagamangala is a town
in the Mandya district of Karnataka state, India. It is located 62 km from the
historically important town Mysore, on the Srirangapatna-Sira highway. It is a
temple enriched with its architectural wonders.
History
Historically,
Nagamangala came into prominence during the rule of Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana
when it became an important center of Vaishnava faith and received patronage
from one of his queens, Bommaladevi. During the rule of Veera Ballala II,
Nagamangala prospered as an agrahara (place of Hindu religious studies) and had
the honorific Vira Ballala Chaturvedi Bhattaratnakara. The temple is protected
as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.
How To Get There
The place is well connected by the Bangalore Mysore Highway but can also be reached via Mandya by the KSRTC busses. It is also well connected by Bellur and Pandavapura cross.