Bhoganandeeshwara Temple (also spelt "Bhoga
Nandishwara" or "Bhoga Nandishvara") is a Hindu temple located
in Nandi village, at the base of Nandi Hills (or Nandidurga) in the
Chikkaballapur district. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
History
The original temple in the complex, identified as
one of the oldest temples of Karnataka, dates back to the early 9th century.
The earliest inscriptions referring to the construction of the temple for
Shiva, according to the Archaeological Survey of India, are from Nolamba
dynasty ruler Nolambadiraja and the Rashtrakuta emperor Govinda III dated
c.806. The temple was later under the patronage of successive notable South
Indian dynasties: the Ganga Dynasty, the Chola dynasty, the Hoysala Empire and
the Vijayanagara Empire. In the post medieval era, the local chiefs of
Chikaballapura and the rulers of the Mysore Kingdom (Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan)
controlled the region before it eventually came under British rule. The
architectural style is Dravidian. The temple is located at a distance of 60 km
from Bangalore. The temple is protected as a monument of national importance by
the Archaeological Survey of India.
Structure
Vasantha mantapa, an ornate 13th century contribution from the Hoysala era to the Uma-Maheshvara shrine at the Bhoganandeeshwara temple complex.
The temple complex has two large shrines: the
"Arunachaleswara" shrine to the south built by the Gangas of Talakad,
and the "Bhoganandeeshwara" shrine to the north built by the Cholas.
It has the sculpture of a king considered to be that of Rajendra Chola. In
between there is a small intervening shrine called with
"Uma-Maheshwara" shrine with a kalyana mantapa supported by
ornate pillars in black stone with reliefs depicting of the Hindu gods Shiva
and his consort Parvati, Brahma (the creator) and Saraswathi, Vishnu (the
preserver) and his consort Lakshmi, the god of fire Agni and his consort Swaha
Devi, and decorative creepers and birds. This is typical to Hoysala
architecture.
Kalyani
(Pushkarini)
The "Arunachaleswara" and the "Bhoganandeeshwara" forms of Shiva represent, according to Hindu legend, two stages in the life of the god Shiva: childhood and youth. The "Uma-Maheshwara" shrine has reliefs depicting the third stage, Shiva's marriage to the goddess Parvati. Hence this shrine is popular with newly wedded couples who come to seek blessing. The Yoga Nandeeshwara temple on top of Nandi hills represents the final "renunciation" stage in the life of Shiva and hence this temple is devoid of any festivities. Beyond the second compound there is a large stepped temple tank (kalyani or pushkarni), locally called "Sringeri Teertha" (the mythical source of the Pinakini river) where lamps are lit on certain festive days.