World heritage Somnathpur sculptures and Talakadu temple mystery
World heritage Somnathpur sculptures and Talakadu temple mystery
Highlights
At Somnathpur you will find one of the most perfectly preserved temples in India. The 13th century Chennakesava temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built by the Hoysala dynasty on a star shaped platform, its exterior covered entirely in carved sculpture. Every dancer on the walls has her nose cut off. Your guide will unravel that mystery.
At Talakadu you will find something completely different. This was once a thriving town of 30 temples until a queen cursed it in the 17th century and the sand dunes buried everything. Five temples have since been excavated from the sand. One has a lingam said to change colour through the day from red to black to white. A bullock cart ride takes you between the temples through the dunes.
Two extraordinary sites. One private car from Bangalore. An expert cultural guide throughout. All entry fees and a South Indian vegetarian lunch included.
Itinerary
Somnathpur Temple
1 hoursAdmission Ticket IncludedSomnathpur is famous for the magnificent Chennakesava temple. It has been declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. This temple was built in 1268 by Somanatha, a general of King Narasimha III. We will explore the three shrines and three wonderfully carved peaks with a common Mandapa. The next couple of hours will be spent appreciating the 16 different ceilings, each depicting a different stage of a blooming banana flower, the central wall space adorned with images of deities with jewellery, bangles, crowns and anklets.Keerthi Narayana Temple
1 hoursAdmission Ticket IncludedNext, we will visit Keertinarayana temple, built using black granite and bricks, and a splendid example of Hoysala style of architecture. This was built to commemorate the victory of King Vishnuvardhan over the Cholas. The highlight of this temple is the 2-meter tall main deity of the Lord.Talakad Panchalinga Temples
1 hoursAdmission Ticket IncludedHotel pick up will be at 730 am and we will head towards Talakadu, located 130km from Bangalore. The journey will take 3 hours. Talakadu used to be a flourishing town with more than 30 temples during ancient times. The legendary Queen’s curse buried the entire town with sand dunes. We will visit Vaidyanatheswara temple, one of the 5 temples excavated from the sands. Over the next 2 hours, we will explore this granite structure built in the 14th century by Chola Kings and dedicated to Lord Shiva. We will also visit Pataleshwara Shiva temple where the Lingam is supposed to change colors through the day from red, black and white.
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