Ramalingeshwara group of temples, Avani


The Ramalingeshwara group of temples, situated in Avani town of the Kolar district, Karnataka state, India, is constructed in the dravida style. According to the Archaeological Survey of India, the temple is an ornate 10th-century Nolamba dynasty construction which was partially renovated later by the Chola dynasty. The temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as a monument of national importance.

History

Avani is a place of great antiquity. According to the ASI, an inscription here dated 399 A.D. refers to it. Later inscriptions call it the "Gaya of the south". Legend has it that Avani was the abode of the Hindu saint Valmiki and that the Hindu god Rama visited Avani during his return to Ayodhya from Lanka. According to the legend, Rama's sons Lava and Kusha were born here on an existing hill a short distance from the temple complex.
According to the art historian Madhusudan Dhaky, Nolamba temple constructions exist in the region historically known as "Nolambavadi", a region to the east of Gangavadi but west of Andhradesa. He dates the temple to the early 10th century. According to the art historian James Harle, the earliest structure within the walled enclosure may actually be what is known as the Shatrugnalineshwara shrine and was built by the Western Ganga dynasty of Talakad. This was soon followed by the Lakshmanalingeshwara shrine. According to Harle, this is the earliest example of a group of shrines with an outer wall enclosure in the Karnataka state.

Temple plan

The temple complex comprises four major shrines, one each for Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. There are other minor shrines, such as those for Vali and Sugriva. The Ramalingeshwara temple consists of a sanctum, a vestibule and a hall with decorative pillars. The base of the temple comprises moldings articulated with Kirtimukha and lions in relief. The outer walls have pilasters surmounted by dravida towers.
The Lakshmanalingeshwara temple which houses the largest linga has on a wall, a depiction of the noted 10th-century saint Tribhuvanakarta holding a rudraksha necklace. The pillars in the hall have several relief sculptures and the ceiling has a fine sculpture of Uma-Mahesvara surrounded by an ensemble of ashtadikpalas.
There is a shrine for Parvati also in this group. The external decorative elements for all shrines include five moldings ornamented with friezes of elephants, lions, yali, makara above which are wall pilasters and reliefs of yakshas, dvarapalas, images of Shiva, Bhairava, Bhairavi, Vishnu and Ganesha.

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