At Kurudumale there are many temples that are known for their architecture and spiritual importance. Here Ganesha Temple and Someshwara Temple are very ancient.
Parvati Temple is one of the ancient temple here that is very simple. The temple was closed when we were in this place.
However, we could see the deity from the window.
This is thirty second in the series on the rich cultural heritage of temples in India. The sculptural work in each of these temples are always admirable.
In the Chennakesava Temple of Belur there are several beautiful sculptures created in 1175 A.D. Here one can see a sculpture of Garuda as soon as one enters temple complex.
There are beautiful sculptures on the tower of the 10th century Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneshwar.
The pillar that has been carved from all the directions to tell stories from Hindu epics. This is inside the 15th century Ganesha Temple at Kurudumale.
Ganesha Temple at Kurudumale is one of the 15th century temple built during the time of Vijayanagara Kings.
This temple is built of a single rock without any foundation. On the exterior the temple is simple and plane. Half of the temple has different style of carving, believed to have been done by the legendary artist Jakanachari.
On the interior of the temple there are beautifully carved pillars.
The massive Ganesha Idol here is 13.5 feet long and 6 to 7 feet in width. Opposite to Lord Ganesha is a big mouse sculpture.
Kurudumale is a small village near Mulbagal town. This offbeat place can be reached while traveling from Bangalore to Kolar. It was originally known by the name Koodumalai meaning 'Meeting Hill'. It is called so because it was believed to be meeting place of Gods for the purpose of recreation.
It is known for the ancient temples:
Other place close by is Mulubagal famous for Anjaneya Temple.
Another place close by Ramalingeshwar Temple Complex at Avani.
Since long I have been planning a day’s trip to Kolar and the nearby places like Kurudumale and Avani along with my family. So with this delightful vision, we started early in the morning at 8 am to Kolar by our car. We knew that the roads are good and expected to cover the distance comfortably in a reasonable time. But we had not accounted for the rain that would have interrupted our pleasant drive and disrupted our travel a bit. Hence, we can say it was like “Sunshine on a cloudy day”.
After a drive of around 2 hours, we reached Kurudumale where there are a few ancient temples of great craftsmanship. We first visited Shree Ganesha Temple built by one of the rulers of Vijayanagara kingdom. Then we visited another temple dedicated to Lord Shiva called the Someshwara Temple. Both these temples are architectural marvels in their own right.
After spending about an hour devouring the architectural splendour of these ancient temples, we proceeded to Kolar. On the way, it occurred to us that the temples in the Kolar city may not be open at this time of the day and we decided to first visit Avani. By this time, our two little ones started to complain about being hungry and from my experience; I knew that I’ll not be able to drive an inch further without appeasing their hunger. My wife had already packed some snacks and fruits and she was ready to meet their needs. We spent a little time by the roadside and as usual I clicked one or two snaps of the nearby hills. Along with the kids we also had little food and we were ready to proceed further.
Hence we drove down for another hour and reached Avani. Here we drowned ourselves in the beauty of Ramalingeshwara group of temples. These groups of ancient temples are also adorned with rich intricate carvings.
After seeing this temple, we decided to visit the abode of Goddess Sita on the hilltop. But we had no idea on how to proceed as plenty of unfamiliar and alien to us monuments were scattered all over the hill on our way up. We took the help of a local villager to reach the top. But when we began to climb, we had no idea that the trek is nearly 3 to 4kms.
So 4 of us started our upward journey. It is a simple temple with a small idol of Goddess Sita. After visiting the temple, we came down and we had company of various creatures on the hill on our downward journey. There were lizards of various sizes and colours. Our kids were enchanted by these colourful creatures and we could feel their excitement. They were not ready to leave the place. But as it was getting late and the climate was windy, I prompted them to get back to the car fast.
By the time we reached down, all of us were very hungry and thought of going to a restaurant on the highway. At this juncture, we had company of heavy downpour and we all got little bit drenched in rain. Even though we were worried that the kids may catch cold by wetting in the rain, they were really enjoying the same. It was really hard to pull them back in the car.
We moved back to Bangalore after lunch. This trip had everything in it; peak into the history, fun, adventure over the hills, rain. I am not sure if this is a perfect trip, but we will remember it forever. The combination of the ancient monuments in their silent ambience and the family enjoyment etched an everlasting memory in our minds and eggs us on to undertake such trips now and then whenever the time permits.
