Karnataka > Mysore > Somanathpur
Somanathpur, ten km. away from T. Narsipur, the taluk headquarters and 40 km, from Mysore, has the best of the Hoysala temples constructed when the Hoysala art was in full bloom. The three vesara shikharas of the Keshava temple are in good condition. Somanathpur was called Vidhyanidhi agrahara and Somanath Dandanayaka, the commander of Hoysala Narasimha III built the trikuta temple and the place was named after him. It is the finest monument of the place. The other temples are the Panchalingeshwara. Lakshminarayana and Narasimheswara. The Keshava temple is enclosed by a courtyard of 215 feet in length and 177 feet in breadth. It stands on a platform with triple shrines with three majestic shikharas on them with a common navaranga and main entrance. It is profusely decorated on the outer walls and there are rows of figures of Natya Saraswati, Natya Ganapathi, Mahishamardini, Varaha, Ishwara, Indra etc., and smaller figures narrating Vaishnava epics. The navaranga has 16 ankanas each with a highly decorative floral or geometric designs. The Keshava image in the main shrine is missing but Janardana and Venugopala are seen in other two garbhagrihas, are really charming. The shikharas look like highly decorated rathas. The panels on the walls of the Keshava have sign-manuals of sculptors like Mallitamma, Baleya, Chaudeya, Chamaya, Bharmaya, Nanjaya and Yelasamayya. The Keshava temple is a must for every lover of Hoysala art. The Panchalinga do not have much of embellishment, but it has five Shiva shrines in a row.
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