The Chennakeshava Temple, C R Patna

Arti January 29, 2012
Today’s guest post comes from a wonderful travel blogger or bloggers to be more precise, Dhiraj Shenoy and His wife Amrutha, coming over from Team G Square. They love treading the off the beaten track and bring forth these lesser known magnificent places through their crisp commentary and terrific captures. If you want a taste of the rich heritage and culture of India, do read their travel experiences and I assure you won’t leave disappointed. In this blog post, he shares one such ancient temple near Bengaluru. Read on...

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C R Patna or Channarayapatna is a taluk Headquarter situated on the Bangalore – Mangalore Highway NH 48, about 40 km from Hassan. There is a lovely Hoysala temple here, dedicated to Lord Chennakeshava and built during the 11th Century.  Though simple in its external architectural features, the temple interiors are grand, as in every Hoysala temple.

Chennakeshava Temple, C R Patna Bangalore
Lord Chennakeshava Temple

The artwork on the ceiling is an excellent example of the Hoysala architecture. The pillars, dwarapalas (guards) and the door frames are extremely intricate and decorative. The garbagriha (sanctum sanctorum) houses a beautiful life size idol of Lord Chennakeshava (Vishnu). There is also an idol of Kalingamardana (rarely seen in the form of an individual idol elsewhere) inside the temple. The front porch of the temple is a later addition by the Nayakas of Holenarsipura. There is a Garuda Khambha (pole) in front of the temple. 

Kalingamardana idol in the Chennakeshava Temple in Bangalore
Idol of Kalingamardana

Central Ceilng, Chennakeshava Temple in Bangalore
Central ceiling inside the temple

Broken ceiling, Chennakeashava Temple in Bangalore
Broken ceiling

Pillar inside the Chennakeshava Temple in Bangalore
A Pillar in the temple

Dwarpala at the Chennakeshava Temple entrance in Bangalore
Dwarpala at the entrance of the sanctum

Inscription giving details of the Chennakeshava Temple in Bangalore
Inscription giving details of the temple construction

Garud Khamba, Chennakeshava Temple in Bangalore
Garud Khamba

The Legend of this place as explained by the temple priest is as follows, “Kotalur (original name C R Patna), was once ruled by the Hoysalas and they built a temple here dedicated to Lord Chennakeshava”. This temple became famous in those days as people suffering from various diseases got cured after offering prayers here.  Once, the prince of Holenarsipura was suffering from polio and all the efforts of the Nayaka King in curing him went in vain. It was then that the royal priest advised him to take the prince to the Chennakeshava temple in Kotalur and perform some rituals there.  Acting accordingly, the Nayaka King took his son to the temple and performed the necessary rituals. In no time, the prince was cured of Polio and after this instance, he was renamed as Channa Raya and the place was renamed as Channarayapatna in the honor of the god who saved him.

Rear view of the Chennakeshava Temple in Bangalore
Rear view of the temple

Though the temple was restored some time ago, there seems to be a failure in maintenance. This being a live temple and situated amidst a town, should have been strictly maintained.

Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore – NH 48 – C R Patna

Distance from Bangalore: 130 km

Places to visit around: Anekere, Nuggenahalli, Mosale, Hassan, Shantigrama and Many more.
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Arti

Posted by Arti

Hi there! I am Arti - constantly on the road, both figuratively and literally, unwrapping my unique gift called life. My blog, which focuses on spiritual journeys, is all about my love of sharing, exploring and learning; a continuous journey where I strive to seek the truth, discover myself, the world, my place therein and experience the real treasures of life along the way. I hope to help those planning to make a trip to these places or simply provide a virtual tour to the rest. If you have any queries, do leave a comment, I will be pleased to help! You can also contact me at - 22arti@gmail.com

Post a Comment

45 Comments

  1. Rahul BhatiaJanuary 29, 2012 at 9:06 PM

    An interesting destination! Well captured

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  2. AbhishekJanuary 29, 2012 at 10:05 PM

    I have personally visited Blog of Team G Square before and have liked their Pics.
    This Post was no different.
    Best Wishes :)

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  3. Sylvia KJanuary 29, 2012 at 10:05 PM

    Fascinating and intriguing post and excellent captures for the day, Arti, as always! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

    Sylvia

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  4. Santosh BsJanuary 29, 2012 at 10:24 PM

    Another good account Dhiraj and thanks to Arti for bringing it here...

    Sad to see the heritage complex crumble in midst of a bustling town!

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  5. GemelJanuary 30, 2012 at 1:35 AM

    wonderful, I really enjoyed this tour :)

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  6. MichelleJanuary 30, 2012 at 5:19 AM

    Really some brilliant detail in this temple.

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  7. P.N. SubramanianJanuary 30, 2012 at 5:46 AM

    Beautiful information about Chennakeshava temple. I am sad that we Hindus are least bothered in preserving our heritage. Despite being a live temple the apathy by the management is unpardonable.

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  8. AJanuary 30, 2012 at 8:35 AM

    So magical. I especially love the shot of the temple.

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  9. RajeshJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:30 AM

    Beautiful shots of the the lesser known temple.

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  10. Ushnish GhoshJanuary 30, 2012 at 10:18 AM

    Dear Arti
    How are you? Just trying read as many posts as possible. I missed so much during stay abroad and now I have to go back to the deserts in few days. :-(. I like the idea of hosting guest posts and we will know much more about places. My special thanks to you, Dhiraj and Amruta for this nice article.
    Let me see what all I have missed. I wont be able post any thing this time. Cant get used to kitchen and did not have a kitchen in Sahara ha ha .
    Have a nice week

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  11. Vishal KatariaJanuary 30, 2012 at 12:53 PM

    Interesting destination indeed. I'm gonna be shameless and ask what food tastes good there... ;)

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  12. UnknownJanuary 30, 2012 at 4:21 PM

    seems very intresting thanks fr sharing:)

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  13. AnjiJanuary 30, 2012 at 5:26 PM

    There is so much culture and history in India, the sad part is when they don't maintain it and keep it alive. Wish we Indians were more aware of how much we have and not acknowledge!

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  14. Kavita SahariaJanuary 30, 2012 at 6:07 PM

    Thanks to Dhiraj and Amrutha for this beautiful and interesting post .And a special thanks to you Arti for presenting this post on your blog .

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  15. Felicity Grace TerryJanuary 30, 2012 at 6:31 PM

    Loving this post, thanks for the introduction to Team G Square.

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  16. zephyrJanuary 30, 2012 at 6:45 PM

    Dhiraj's posts are always wonderful. Like you said, he covers the temples and heritage site off the beaten track. I had visited Channapatna over 30 years ago and it was still a village and the temple not so decrepit.

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  17. ArunJanuary 30, 2012 at 7:25 PM

    With each post of yours my list of places to cover increases.. Thanks a lot Arti and TeamGSquare for sharing this..

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  18. ashokJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:19 PM

    well proportioned temple...thanks for sharing Arti.

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  19. magdaJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:35 PM

    Very nice and interesting photos and reportaz Arti!
    Have a good week!

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  20. rupam sarmaJanuary 30, 2012 at 10:47 PM

    @Arti Thanks a lot for another wonderful post.Nice photographs.

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  21. Sylvia KJanuary 31, 2012 at 8:08 AM

    I want to add my thanks to Team G Square for a terrific post and marvelous photos!

    Sylvia

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  22. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    thanks for the information
    its nice to know about this place
    will keep in mind when i go to bengluru

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  23. Saru SinghalJanuary 31, 2012 at 10:42 AM

    A great place and great clicks...

    Thanks for the share. And i am excited to know your wife's name Dhiraj...:)

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  24. magiceyeJanuary 31, 2012 at 12:19 PM

    This is indeed wonderful!

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  25. Akshay Kumar GJanuary 31, 2012 at 3:42 PM

    Lovely pictures, interesting place. Thank you for sharing. :):)

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  26. IndraniJanuary 31, 2012 at 7:31 PM

    Lovely post by TGS!

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  27. chitraJanuary 31, 2012 at 9:05 PM

    Love to see you here TGS.

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  28. BikramJanuary 31, 2012 at 10:13 PM

    Thank you for a virtual tour.. India has such beautoful places to visit ..
    and i have a long list to see them in my lifetime

    Bikram's

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  29. Pooch Purple ReignFebruary 1, 2012 at 8:02 AM

    i like the legend. well documented !
    ~laura

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  30. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2012 at 9:32 AM

    nice place...

    also thanks Team G Square...

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  31. RIZALENIOFebruary 1, 2012 at 4:44 PM

    Wow! Stunning photos again. Very interesting stories about this place.

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  32. sarahFebruary 1, 2012 at 5:34 PM

    The design of the central ceiling or pillars is tasteful and the inside looks cool.
    The houses behind Garud Khamba are cute,colorful.
    I thought the many venerable old temples dot in the modern city.
    Have a nice week ahead!

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  33. TeamgsquareFebruary 1, 2012 at 6:03 PM

    Arti , thanks for having us in your wonderful Blog .
    Thank you @ everyone for appreciating the beauty of this temple .
    @ Vishal , No food is served at the temple , but there are many restaurant in C R Patna .

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  34. My Unfinished LifeFebruary 1, 2012 at 8:45 PM

    interesting!!!

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  35. amit gangulyFebruary 2, 2012 at 2:58 PM

    Such beautiful places indeed.The snaps are perfectly complimenting the post.

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  36. ArtiFebruary 2, 2012 at 7:42 PM

    @Team G Square Oh, My pleasure entirely. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful article and gracing this little yatra diary of mine :)

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  37. LadyFiFebruary 2, 2012 at 8:38 PM

    What a fascinating place to visit.

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  38. raFebruary 2, 2012 at 9:17 PM

    wow .. that was quite an interesting story to know how the name evolved!!!

    regards
    rahul

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  39. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2012 at 9:24 PM

    Hubby and I probably will not be able to visit this area, as Bangalore is in the south. We plan to tour the northern part of India.

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  40. NancyFebruary 2, 2012 at 10:02 PM

    Love the history and photos. Thanks so much for sharing. :)

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  41. BarbFebruary 3, 2012 at 2:21 AM

    The intricacy of the carvings always amazes me.

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  42. Aakash KokzFebruary 3, 2012 at 11:19 AM

    Wonderful temples, the first one seems to be quite ancient of all, loved it ... nice pics :-)

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  43. UnknownFebruary 3, 2012 at 12:40 PM

    Your work is so appreciated. Beautiful way for readers to know about temples and heritage in different places in India. Way to go!

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  44. stardustFebruary 3, 2012 at 7:20 PM

    I’m so attracted by the different architecture style from the Western's as well as ours. The ornate carving is mysteriously fascinating and somewhat short and thick pillar is imposing. As inside is dim and looks cold, I’d feel separated from the outside world. Thank you for taking us off the beaten track, Arti.

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  45. SridharanFebruary 11, 2012 at 8:51 AM

    Fantastic..
    It has been a while, I read blog posts..I am slowly clearing the backlog..I read all your posts that I missed in the last few weeks..
    I always look forward to your great posts Arti..!

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