Sunday, February 23, 2014

Somnathpur -- Chennakesava Temple


This is a 13th Century temple with amazing architecture and sculptures in soapstone (but hard soapstone, not like the countertops we have in our home in Virginia). The overall structure is a 16-pointed star, but I like to call this style a "fractal" temple, because the angles have angles which have angles, and so on.

The temple
The exterior is carved with figures from top to bottom. The bottom friezes tell the stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata in pictorial form so that everyone could learn them.
The friezes around the temple. The missing blocks have been "looted" -- sometimes the looting occurred centuries ago, but much of it has been more recent to satisfy the market in "antiquities".
A detail from a frieze.
Krishna leading cows.
Above the friezes are detailed sculptures of deities. This is Saraswati, goddess of knowledge.
The pillars in this temple have been turned on a lathe. Some have then been cut into facets to add further interest.
A magnificent acacia tree outside the temple enclosure.

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