The Saptaswara Stones
About the Place
When we think of musical stones (where each stone gives out a saptaswara melody), everyone thinks of Hampi. However, there is a temple near Bengaluru with the sapataswara stones. We are talking about the Bhoga-Nandishvara temple which is located on the foothills of the Nandi hills (50 kms from Bengaluru).
What to See
The original temple was built in the 9th century but numerous inscriptions show that it was extended in the Chola and Hoysala periods. The Bhoga-Nandishvara temple
measures about 370 feet by 50 feet.
The north shrine is dedicated to Bhoga-Nandishvara and the south shrine to Arunachaleshwara. Each shrine consists of a garbhagriha, a sukanasi and a navaranga.
To the right in the navaranga is a curious image of Heramba, a form of Lord Ganesh. In front of the shrine , stands a magnificent four-pillared mantapa, called kalyana mantapa. Birds, beasts, foliage and human figures are excellently chiseled. In front of this mantapa is an open mukhamantapa, supported by 12 black stone pillars.
The temple, as a whole, is rich in sculpture and epigraphs. The workmanship in some parts of this temple is said to be superior even to that in the finest Hoysala temples in the State. — R Guruprasad
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