Riverside Ruins And Krishna Temple

 

A little exploration of this area, close to the edge of the river, can lead you to a couple of Shiva Lingas arrays (mandalas) carved on the surface of a flat rock surface. One is an array of 108 Lingas, the other a more fabulous 1008 lingas in a square area.

The numbers 108 and 1008 have some significance in Hinduism. For example lord Shiva has 1008 names quoted in one of the sacred texts.

A little away on a vertical rock surface is the carved sculpture of Lord Vishnu in the reclined posture. The other interesting features include a series of pavilions, partially submerged tiny shrines, sequence of motifs carved on the rock surfaces and spotting of sculptured artifacts laid at random. All are in this vicinity.

This gorge is one of the best locations to have a close look at the jumble of the boulder blocks. Scuttling through and over these boulders can be both puzzling and exciting. Because of its isolation perhaps, the place is practically absent from the whirlwind brand of tourists!

Up north of the Kodanda Rama Temple you can spot a number of narrow but well trodden paths, generally going towards the riverside. First they run along the sandy and sometimes marshy riverbank. A few meters away from the riverside, the sand slowly gives way to rough surface, and then to the boulder heaps. The main path that runs between the Kodanda Rama Temple and Sugreeva’s Cave is the base path from where to branch to your riverside expedition.

This is one of the narrowest, and hence most torrent, portions of the river.

Careful about the slippery rock surfaces, generally close to the river edge. A word of caution often repeated to the tourists - Never venture into the water.

If the river is not turbulent (during the monsoon or the discharge from the upstream dam), you can reach this location by a coracle hired from near the Kodanda Rama Temple.

 

The Krishna Temple is known for its exquisite carvings and elegant architectural designs. King Krishnadevaraya was a lover of art and architecture and the temples and monuments constructed during his reign are famous for their architectural designs.

The main idol of the temple is that of Lord Balakrishna which is now on display in the State Museum at Chennai. The temple campus is adorned with pillared halls and many small shrines. This is one of the rare temples which have epics inscribed on the tower walls. More or less, this temple is fairly intact and stands testimony to the prosperous reign under the Vijayanagara rule. To the east of the temple lies a hall. Banana plantations are located on the right (south) of the temple. The long pavilions in the temple were initially shops. On the left of the temple is a rocky landscape. A leisurely stroll through these structures will lead one to the temple pond. This tank is not in use anymore.

A leisurely walk on the west side of the temple will lead one to view a rectangular building which may formerly be used as a granary. Interestingly this has been built in an Islamic style of architecture. Just behind the granary you can find a narrow passage of stairs which allows people to get to the top of the temple for a beautiful view.