Tandaga and Nonavinakere Temples

Venugopala-Nonavinakere

The Chennakeshava temple built in Tandaga by the Hoysalas in the12th century AD. The temple seems very simple in its external features but it’s very rich. The temple has mainly consisting of Garbagriha, Antarala, Navaranga & and small Mukha mantapa.

The outer wall of the temple has almost plain, two Dvarapalakas in door adorning it. An exquisitely carved stone railing or parapet adorned with intricately carved flower images and other relief flanks the Navaranga. In this temple also, the walls of the Navaranga have two niches for images. The sanctum has a rather plain ceiling. But the large pedestal has a beautiful statue of Lord Chennakeshava.

Later we headed to Nonavinakere there are two famous temples one is Betarya (Dravidean style) and Venugopala out of which Venugopala temple was built during the Hoysala dynasty. The place originally called Nonabanakere which dates back to the Nolamba times, is situated 10 km south-east of Tiptur town.

The Venugopala temple, said to be older than the Beteraya temple and originally of the Hoysala period, It is a Trikootachala structure with three cells dedicated to the main cell having Keshava, the north cell Yoga-Narasimaha and the south Venugopala. There are also five Shiva temples in the village the Shanteshwara, the Nonabeshwara, the Chandeshwara, the Kalleshwara and the Gaurishwara.

The temple is a fine example of Hoysala architecture. The west side of the temple consists of a square Garbhagriha, a Sukanasi, Navaranga and square Mukhamantapa. The Utsava idols consist in one corner of pillared-hall in the middle. Novaninakere has a large pond that is about 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) in diameter. In some seasons, the pond overflows through the surrounding countryside.