The architectural grandeur and aesthetic finesse of Sri Krishna Temple, Udupi, Chennakeshava Temple, Belur and Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu, all in Karnataka, are must-see places for devotees and connoisseurs alike. Suresh Krishnaswamy’s YouTube uploads on each of these, open your eyes to the marvels on stone created by sculptors, who lived between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The videos run for about eight minutes each, with Krishnaswamy’s English commentaries (those on Belur and Halebidu have been scripted by Ramakrishnan Narayanaswamy) giving succinct inputs. The films are a meld of fact and legend, beauty and devotion, values and religion.
Udupi cuisine
For the gourmet, Udupi stands for lip-smacking food, and the docu opens with just that — the unique Udupi cuisine. It was handed down to posterity by the Shivalli Brahmins, who first made them as offerings for Lord Balakrishna, the presiding deity of Sri Krishna Temple.
As Krishnaswamy encapsulates the history of the temple we realise its unique features. While temples were generally built by kings, Sri Krishna Temple that dates back to the 13th Century, was built by Vaishnava Saint Madhwacharya, who installed the murthi of Lord Balakrishna that he is supposed to have found in a huge ball of ‘gopichandana.’
Unlike in other temples, the deity here faces west. Paying heed to the pleas of poet and devotee Kanakadasa, who wasn’t allowed to enter the temple, the deity turned to give darshan through a crack in the wall, it is said.
Even today, the Lord can be seen only through a lattice window in the sanctum sanctorum!
Veritable treat
The docu on the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur, is another veritable visual treat. As Krishnaswamy’s phone (yes, all his films are shot on a mobile) pans the temple from interesting angles, we get to know that it took 103 years for it to be built. King Vishnu Vardhana began the project and grandson Veera Ballala II, completed this towering example of Hoysala architecture.
The next wonder in this trilogy of sorts is the abode of Hoysaleswara (Siva) in Halebidu, whose unusual star-shaped layout enabled the sculptors to use every niche for display of craftsmanship of a high order.
Even after being ruined by the armies of the Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century, its 0 is almost intact. Friezes and reliefs of incidents from the Krishna Leela and the Mahabharata are awe-inspiring.
The film tells us that Halebidu’s sculptors have used soapstone to carve the temple, as fresh soapstone allows itself to be shaped in the way the sculptor wishes and later hardens to become unassailable. And surprisingly every work of art has the signature of its creator.
If you are a tourist Suresh Krishnaswamy’s record will serve as a guide. If you are an armchair traveller, the information in the voice-over will make your trip complete. Or if you are an antiquarian there’s a lot for you to glean!
