A Hoyasala temple at Somnathpur, Karnataka, India.

[spindrift]

Several years ago I spent 10 days at Mysore, Karnataka and having time on my hands, was able to do some side-trips to the holy Cauvery (Kaveri) River. One of my ramblings was to the Keshava temple at the sleepy village of Somnathpur which is on the river.



The star-shaped temple is an example of the grand and glorious temples built by the Hoysala rulers (circa AD 1268).

The sides of the platform are decorated with richly carved friezes depicting rows of cavalry, elephants and scenes from the epics. The rows above have sculptures of Gods, mainly Vishnu in various forms. The shrine, deep inside, has three shrines and three sanctums. Above are three intricately carved pinnacles.
The main hall has exquisitely turned pillars and ceiling panels.



The temple stands in the middle of a walled compound around which runs an open verandah with 64 cells.



The form and colour of these ancient pillars continue to fascinate me





Some friezes:







And a closer picture of a dear elephant



Although most tourists head for the famous temples at Belur and Halebidu, Somnathpur is well worth a detour being only 12 miles from Mysore.

[Deleted]

Magnificent photos spindrift. Once again,am in awe of your adventuresome spirit. Thanks.
Were you part of a group,a tour? If not,did you have a guide of some kind?

[spindrift]

I was alone. It happpened like this. I joined a girlfriend in Mysore (flying into Bangalore) on the understanding that we would be going to study at the Buddhist monastery/university at Bylakuppe/Kushalanagar.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushalanagara

For several days I couldn't rouse my friend in the mornings so I went around Mysore by myself. I would find her up and about in the evenings but she seemed very hyper. A week or so after my arrival I was brought an early-morning cup of tea by room service and was informed by the waiter that my friend had left the hotel at 5am and had taken a taxi to Bangalore airport to fly to Kathmandu. She had deserted me without any warning.

Initially I was shocked and hurt but, on reflection, having sent her a text saying 'Please don't forget to take your meds'!, I pulled myself together, planned the remaining 3 weeks of my stay in India, took a car and driver and went all over Karnataka, then into Coorg then down to the coast at Kerala. I had a wonderful time.

To be frank, I didn't see another white face in all that time. I felt perfectly comfortable travelling around either with a driver or alone. I ended up in a tiny 'hotel' in a coconut plantation by a Keralan beach. From there I took another car up to Mangalore, flew to Bangalore, spent 3 days there and then left for the UK.

Nearly everywhere I found Indians delightful and helpful. I had no qualms about wandering aaround. I felt very safe. The only difficult time was in Canoor in Kerala where the majority of the population is muslim and I was pestered on the beaches.

Of course I have never seen my so-called 'friend' again and I don't intend to. Needless to say, none of my acquaintances told me about her significant problem.

[distantshores]

See what I said??? Your life is the most amazing story! This thread is fascinating! Your photos are excellent and so are the details given with them. And your bravery is even more surprising! Are you sure you're not the female Indiana Jones??? ;D

You should write a book and be sure to include all of your photos. The Adventures of Spinny! In the opening staement you could say: My name is spinny, and I'm a world traveler. My life has been blessed with journeys to all parts of the globe and in this book I would like to share those journeys with you! I would like to buy the very first copy...autographed of course!

[bixaorellana]

Oh, Spindrift ~~ this is one of the most glorious of the many fabulously illustrated accounts of your travels you've given us!

Your descriptions are so great, too, although nothing could have quite prepared me for those gorgeous, elaborate facades. My gosh, they're like lacework! This is incredible, lush, almost unbelievable stone work. As you point out, even the pillars are so different from anything else.

Yikes on your "friend", but what a story about fate. First, would you have even gone without the initial plan, and winding up with only your intrepid spirit to guide you turned into the most amazing adventure.

Was that your first visit to India?

[Deleted]

That temple is wonderfully well-preserved (or restored).

I of course have never had to deal with the "woman travelling alone" factor which strikes fear into so many hearts, but the "man travelling alone" factor can also have multiple bad side effects which I won't go into at the moment.

However, just like the admirable Spindrift, I have also found myself in total isolation from my own 'ethno-cultural group' and it is usually not a bad thing at all. I have found that when you are totally alone, not only do the locals wish you no harm but they go out of their way to be pleasant, to welcome you, to help you any way they can.

Not everybody can appreciate such an adventure, because I have found that many people are uncomfortable spending time with themselves. I am the opposite -- when I am completely alone, my mind goes into to turbo-drive and I can fill 50 pages of a notebook as I listen to the evening insects and the distant tinkling of a temple bell (or is it a goat?).

I am quite sure that Spindrift shares my understanding of this.

[spindrift]

Bixa - no, I would not have gone. I just happened to meet my erstwhile friend when she was sitting having a coffee with my friend the princess. A few emails down the line and I had agreed to meet her in India. She spends most of her time wandering around India. We would have had to obtain a special Indian visa/permission to stay within the Tibetan refugee area....it would have taken 3 months to come through so I would have returned to Bylekuppe at a later date. As it turned out it was all Pie in the Sky. That woman had exaggerated everything and Nothing Was as it Seemed.

It was not my first time in India. I had already visited 4 times or more.

Kerouac...yes..it's quite special to be alone and adrift but now I'm feeling that sometimes I'd like to share my times (especially in the Himalayas) with someone special.

I'm regularly abandoned in strange places but I always manage.

And I don't think that the temple has been restored. In my next presentation I'll show pictures of temples being dug out of the sand having been buried for nearly one thousand years!

DS - yes, I would love to write a book. My life has been full of drama....it's the odd people I know! ;D

[distantshores]

"I'm regularly abandoned in strange places but I always manage." Now that's an interesting statement!!!

With all of the BF's that you have, couldn't you have called one to come to the rescue??? How many were there last count.... 25? Ha Ha Ha! I'm picking on you!

I can't wait till the next presentation!

[hwinpp]

A mesmerising temple and good shots of it, SD. Bravo!

[Deleted]

Spindrift needs to hook up with Indiana Jones.

[spindrift]

distantshores - this is specially for you...

[hwinpp]

I've had a closer look at the statues in the second set. They're remarkably well restored. Quite different from the carvings at Angkor even though the temples were built at the same time approximately.

[spindrift]

I've re-read this thread and enjoyed it, so I'll continue with my pictures and stories....

[bixaorellana]

Oh, wonderful, Spindrift! You tell such a good story, including making history and background so interesting. I was thrilled to see these pictures again. There is so much detail, they can be looked at for hours. I did not remember the hippopotamuses at all -- they're amazing. The standing figures just knock me out -- the sense of life and heft in each one, the graceful stances. Can you identify any of the mudras?

[spindrift]

Bixa - I'm glad you've bumped this up. I never finished that story.

I have a book detailing the various mudras. I could look it up.

[bixaorellana]

Feb 8, 2010 9:05:26 GMT spindrift said:

I never finished that story.

Yes, and ........................................ ?