EKAVI program at Uttara Kannada -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7j9BCu3Xn_0

EKAVI UTTARA KANNADA Udghatane February 10th 2008
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cdt_TOENrqI
EKAVI UTTARA KANNADA Udghatane and program album
http://picasaweb.google.com /vmkumaraswamy/EkaviUttaraKannd a?authkey=Ypw9PGwCVY8

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ekavi news - ekavi Kolara and ekavi uttara kannada
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hiryara vibhaga mattu kiriyara vibhaga

ottu entu spardegalu !!
PREMA V
Vice-President, EKAVI

On Feb 6, 2008 5:08 AM, Venkatappa Kumaraswamy <vmkumaraswamy@gmail.com> wrote:

On Feb 6, 2008 1:30 AM, prema v <premav66@gmail.com> wrote:

yallarigu namaskaara.

Eegaagale kolarada karyakramada aahvana patrike tamagellarigu seride.

mukhya athigalu, kaaryakramada stala haagu dinaakavannu tilisalaagide,

Kolara haagu itara taallukugalinda 300 abhyar5thi galu vividha sphardhegalalli bhaagavahisaliddaare.

____________

Belagge udghaataneya natara spardhegalu nadeyalive.

sanje samaaropa samaarambha haagu bahumaanavitaranaa samaarambha.

Kolara ee saalinalli 3 raashta prashastigalannu tannadaagisikondide.

Tamma saadhanege raashta prashasti padedukondavarannu Ekavi kolara sanmaanisuttide .

Prashasti puraskrutaru….

Sarvashree

1. Honnudi Prabhakar, sampaadakaru, Maadhyama academy
2. Narayanappa Best Teacher Awardee,
3. Yellappa Additional SP
4. Raajeev saralaaya MBA in Kannada.

Innashtu mahitigalondige tammannu matte kaanuttene.

Prema V
Vice-President, EKAVI

ಈ-ಕವಿ ಊತ್ತರ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಉದ್ಘಾಟನ - EKAVI program at

UTTARA KANNADA on February 10th 2008

ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳ ಅಂತರರಾಷ್ಟೀಯ ವೇದಿಕೆ - ಈಕವಿ

                                                           ಬನ್ನಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರು ಒಂದಾಗಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಂದಾಗೋಣ…

Time and Place being decided by EKAVI UTTARA KANNADA members.

• Haalakki janaangada vaidhyarige sanmaana

•  mahila, makkala haagu  vruddara. Health check up :

•     Haalakki janangadavara , tavaka, tallana, mundaalochane…

Innu Invitations and other things are planned now.

ABOUT EKAVI - A TOTAL KANNADA ORGANIZATION

EKAVI NADEDUBANDA DAARI

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EKAVI KUVEMPU program photos
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V. M. Kumaraswamy, MBA , BMSCE 1971 Batch

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Ella Kannadaabhimaanigala Antararshtriya Vedike In “EKAVI”
JOIN: EKAVI COMMUNITY on ORKUT
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ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳ ಅಂತರರಾಷ್ಟೀಯ ವೇದಿಕೆ - ಈಕವಿ
ಬನ್ನಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರು ಒಂದಾಗಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಂದಾಗೋಣ…

JOIN your EKAVI DISTRICT and TALUQ. Please tell your friends and send it to them also.

Uttara Kannada District

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ekavi and ellakavi

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`Take Bendre’s works to the masses’

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Staff Correspondent

DHARWAD: Chief Secretary P.B. Mahishi has asked the Da. Ra. Bendre National Memorial Trust to make use of the funds allocated to take the works and views of Da. Ra. Bendre to the masses.

He was speaking after a visit to the “Bendre Bhavan” that houses the office of the trust. Literary works should be made available to people at affordable prices, he said.

The Chief Secretary visited various sections of the bhavan. He also took a look at an exhibition of paintings on Bendre and his poems. He also inspected construction work of “Sakhigeeta” guesthouse and the auditorium. Trust chairman M.M. Kalburgi briefed him about the activities of the trust.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/11/stories/2007051106880300.htm

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D.R. Bendre

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Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre, the second Jnanpith award recipient from Karnataka, was born on Jan 31, 1896, in Dharwad. Having lost his father at a very young age, Bendre grew up under the guardianship of his uncle and completed his B.A. at the famous Fergusson College in Pune. He got his M.A. in 1934 and worked as a teacher in different schools in different areas. His poem Narabali (Human Sacrifice) got him 3 years’ imprisonment at the Hindalga jail, after which he remained unemployed for more than 5 years. He then joined Masti’s monthly journal Jeevana as its honorary editor and went on to work in several more schools and colleges before joining the D.A.V. College of Sholapur as professor of Kannada. He remained in this position for 12 years till his superannuation at age 60. But, even after retirement, he continued to work in several places and his was indeed a highly chequered career which exposed him to untold hardships in family life. But, amidst it all, his poetic genius never failed to flower and in fact, his adversities proved to be an ever-lasting source of inspiration and philosophy for his unique brand of poetry.

Bendre composed close to 30 collections of poems, but also produced many memorable plays, short stories, critiques and translations, and he wrote in Marathi too.

Bendre’s outstanding contributions to literature were recognised in various forms and on various forums. He was elected the President of the 27th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana of Shimoga in 1943; awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Mysore and the Karnatak University; elected Fellow of the Central Sahitya Akademi in 1969; honoured with the Central Sahitya Akademi ’s award for his poem Aralu Maralu and awarded the supreme literary prize of Jnanpith in 1974 for his anthology of poems Naku Thanthi .

Word wizard Bendre passed away on October 26, 1986, after playing a historical role in keeping the rich traditions of Kannada poetry alive for over 5 decades. Dr. Vaman Bendre, a renowned poet , critic and translator of Kannada and Marathi literature and son of D.R. Bendre, has authored a biography of his father titled Bendre Jeevana Parichaya.

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‘Bendre Trust developing into a centre of learning’

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‘Bendre Trust developing into a centre of learning’
The Newindpress.com

Saturday August 12 2006 12:00 IST

DHARWAD: The Bendre National Trust is slowly developing into a centre of learning with the government aid and the people’s participation, said M S Srikar, Deputy Commissioner and member secretary of the Trust.

He was speaking at a function arranged at the Bendre Bhavan in connection with the donation of an LCD projector to the Trust by the Karntaka Vikas Grameena Bank here on Thursday.

He informed that the government had released a sum of Rs 5 lakh to the Trust this year, and the amount would be fruitfully utilised. Lauding the bank for its gesture to the literary world, the Deputy Commissioner hoped that the tendency to rush to the help of the needy would be nurtured by the society.

Handing over the projecter to the Trust, General Manager of the Bank I T Sethuraman said that the Bank felt proud to be a partner in bringing the famous poets and writers closer to the people through the documentaries that could be viewed with the aid of the LCD. In this Suvarna Karntaka year, the bank had plans to host several social and cultural progammes at various places in its area of operation, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, former MLA Chandrakant Bellad praised the bank for its numerous social work, hoping at the same time that this would be a source of inspiration for others to emulate.

Presiding over the function, Dr M M Kalburgi, chairman of the trust, said that the trust was undertaking numerous activities, bringing it closer to the people. It has been recognised by the Hampi University and interested students could now enroll for acquiring a doctorate.

Senior Manager Shrinivas Wadappi welcomed, PRO Ullas Gunaga compered and Dr Shyamsundar Bidarkundi proposed a vote of thanks.

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‘Deshi’ poet Bendre goes global!
Deccan Herald

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From Raju S Vijapur DH News Service

Hubli:Dr Da Ra Bendre National Memorial Trust, formed by the government to promote Bendre’s literature has come out with a website on the life and works of Bendre, who successfully used colloquial language to explore new possibilities in literature during Navodaya period, an important phase in Kannada literature that followed Hosagannada in 1950s.

With this the long felt dream of taking ‘Deshi poet’ global has come true. This is the first full-fledged website on a Kannada poet, who penned some of the best songs Kannadigas ever heard. www.darabendre.org
Talking to Deccan Herald, President of the Trust Dr M M Kalburgi, former vice-chancellor of Hampi Kannada University said that the site, www.darabendre.org, www.darabendre.org

had been designed and developed by SDM College of Engineering, Dharwad. Dr D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthal had donated Rs 1 lakh for the project. “Main objective of the site is to introduce complete life and works of Bendre in their original form to Kannadigas worldwide.”

The site, to be formally launched on January 31, has some of the rarest photographs of Bendre’s childhood and his moments with pioneers in the music and literature fields.

A photo of Bendre, in typical farmer attire of North Karnataka, sitting with the Jnan Peeth Award certainly mesmerises viewers when they logon to the first page of the site.

The site has three sections– Bendre Books, Life and Literature and Bendre News. While the first section houses important and unpublished books of the poet, the second corner shows rare photos, including Bendre conversing with Jawaharlal Nehru, sharing lighter movements with Masti and Mallikarjun Mansur.

The last section deals with news related to Bendre’s works. Another important feature of the website is a column, I and Bendre. Writers and people, who came in contact with the Varakavi, share their experiences with the viewers. The first column has been written by well-known critic G S Amur and the second column will be written by Dr Kalburgi himself.

A video clipping in which Bendre is reading his own poem definitely make netizens feel worth visiting the site, for which famous writers and critics like Chennaveer Kanavi, Giraddi Govindraj and Balanna Shigihalli have also contributed their mite.

Dr Kalburgi and team deserve kudos for taking our very own ‘native poet’ global!

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Minister unveils plans for Sadhanakeri’s development

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Staff Correspondent

HUBLI: The “bhoomi puja” for the work on the development of Sadhanakeri in Dharwad, which inspired poet laureate Da. Ra. Bendre to write literary masterpieces, would be held on November 1, Minister for Tourism and Textiles B. Sriramulu has said.

He was speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday after paying a visit to D.R. Bendre National Memorial Trust, the residence of the late poet and Sadhanakeri. He visited the exhibition hall at the Bendre Memorial Trust.

The Minister said the place where the poet lived would be developed as a heritage site and along with it the surroundings would be developed to convert it into a tourist spot. After developing Sadhanakeri, steps would be taken to beautify the tank by building fountains and introducing boating.

A committee, headed by the Deputy Commissioner, would be soon set up for taking up the survey of the area. And a special officer would be deputed for conducting the survey and preparing the action plan, Mr. Sriramulu said. He said the State Government planned to run “Palace on Wheels” based on the Rajasthan model. The special train would be introduced for developing tourist places in the State and it would have a stop in Hubli and Dharwad, he said.

Chairman of the Bendre National Memorial Trust M.M. Kalburgi, and Assistant Director of Kannada and Culture K.H. Channur, were present.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/13/stories/2006091308980300.htm

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Jnanpeeth Award winners

Kuvempu

Kavishaila Kuppalli

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Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa (Kuvempu) was born on December 29, 1904, in Hirekodige in Shimoga district of Karnataka. He had his education in Mysore and obtained his M.A. in Kannada in 1929 and started his career as a lecturer at Maharaja’s College. He went on to become a professor and a principal, and retired as the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University.

Kuvempu was a prolific and versatile writer and produced over 30 collection of poems, and several plays, novels and critiques. He also wrote many children’s books and did translations. He became a major voice in Kannada literature starting a whole new genre of poetic tradition and generated a sense of pride among his people. His creative works gave a distinct identity and stature to Kannada language.

He chaired the 1957 Kannada Sahitya Sammelana at Dharwad and was conferred D.Litt. by the Universities of Mysore, Karnatak, Bangalore and Gulbarga. While the Government of Mysore decorated him with Rashtrakavi title, Government of India conferred on him Padmavibhushan. He won the Central Sahitya Akademi award for his epic Ramayana Darshanam in 1955 that also got him the prestigious Jnanpeeth Award in 1969, making him the first Kannada litterateur to be so honoured. He was recipient of the first Pampa Award instituted by Government of Karnataka in 1988.

Kuvempu passed away in 1994 at the ripe age of 90, having left behind an unprecedent legacy in Kannada literature.

Bendre

Dattatraya Ramachandra Bendre

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Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre was born on January 31, 1896, in Dharwad in Karnataka. He lost his father early in life and was brought up by his uncle. He graduated from the Ferguson College, Pune, and after obtaining his M.A. degree started his teaching career in schools. His was jailed for three years for his poem Narabali (human sacrifice) that also seriously affected his working life. After more than five years of unemployment he joined Masti’s monthly journal Jeevana as its honorary editor. After serving in a few institutions, he finally joined DAV College at Sholapur as a professor of Kannada and retired from there after 12 years. He continued to struggle in life and worked even after retirement. But amidst all this untold hardships, his creative genius never failed him and he produced highly memorable works of poetry.

Bendre composed around 30 collections of poems and several plays, short stories, critiques and translations. He wrote in Marathi too. He was elected President of the 27th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana at Shimoga in 1943. He was awarded honorary doctorate by Universities of Mysore and Karnatak. Elected Fellow of the Central Sahitya Akademi in 1969, he was honoured with the Akademi’s award for his Aralu Maralu. Jnanpeeth award was bestowed on him in 1974 for his anthology of poems Naku Thanthi.

Bendre passed away on October 26, 1986 at the age of 90, like Kuvempu.

Shivaram Karanth

Shivarama Karanth

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Kota Shivaram Karanth was born on October 10, 1902 at Kota in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. He graduated from the Government College, Mangalore. The repertoire of Karanth’s writings is astounding. Novels, short stories, plays, encyclopaedias, translations, satires, travelogues, essays, biographies, critiques, art and culture, philosophy and science…nothing was untouched by his probing mind. None else could have deserved sobriquets like ‘Mobile Encyclopaedia’ better than him.

He was guided by philosophy of fullness of life and believed in experiencing and sharing every aspect of it. This was why he did not find any area of knowledge too big or too small to be explored. He pursued truth uncompromisingly through all branches of knowledge by study and experimentation. He believed in sharing and translated his vast knowledge into copious and rich literature. Inspired by Gandhi, he worked for the spread of knowledge and social awareness amongst the people. His concern for social justice was well known all over India due to his legal battles over environmental issues.

He was bestowed the prestigious Jnanpeeth Award in 1977, the third Kannadiga to be so honoured. He lived up to ripe old age of 95 and died in 1997.

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar

MAASTI Venkatesha Iyengar Community
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Masti Venkatesha Iyengar was born on June 6, 1891, at Masti in Kolar district of Karnataka. After a distinguished academic career he obtained his MA degree in 1914. Inducted into civil service, he held various positions of high responsibility in different parts of Karnataka. His broad administrative experience gave immense inspiration for his literary works.

His Kelavu Sanna Kathegalu became the first noted work in the history of modern Kannada short stories. A master in this genre, he earned the sobriquet ‘Brahma of Kannada stories.’ He had inimitable language, narrative style and richness of theme in his works. Masti also penned a number of poems on different philosophic, aesthetic and social themes, which reflect his versatile creativity. He also composed and translated several important plays and authored many works in English. He edited the monthly journal Jeevana from 1944-1965.

A prolific writer, Masti produced more than 120 books in Kannada and more than 17 books in English, over a period of seven decades, giving abundant inspiration to generations of literary scholars in Kannada. He was bestowed with several fellowships, awards, doctorates, presidentships and honours. The most notable of these is the Jnanpeeth Award conferred on him in 1983 for his historical novel Chikkaveera Rajendra.

He passed away in 1986 at the age of 95.

V K Gokak

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Vinayaka Krishna Gokak was born on August 9, 1909. After his early education at Savanur, he went on to obtain his BA and MA degrees. He started his professional career in 1933 as an Asst Professor in Ferguson College, Pune, and became the principal of Willington College, Sangli, after finishing his advanced studies at Oxford. However, he soon gave up the principalship when his self-respect was offended, and later started a college in the desert region of Rajasthan in 1946. He moved to the Government of Bombay with reorganization of Indian states in 1949. He became principal of Karnataka College, Kolhapur, in 1952 and steadily rose thereafter to finally assume the position of Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University in 1966.

Gokak came under the influence of D R Bendre who predicted a great future for him if he were to allow his talents to blossom in Kannada. Gokak embarked upon a unique career in Kannada literature and made outstanding contributions to poetry, drama, criticism and various other forms of literature. He also produced scholarly works in English. His chequered life saw its reflection in his writings. He was President of the 40th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in 1958 and received honorary doctorates from Karnatak University and the Pacific University of USA. He was honoured with the Central Sahitya Akademi Award for his Dyava Prithvi in 1961 and conferred with the Jnanpeeth award in 1990 for his monumental contributions.

He passed away on April 28, 1992, aged 82.

Ananthamurthy

U R Ananthamurthy was born in 1932 in the village of Melige in Karnataka. He attended a traditional Sanskrit school there and grew up as a Gandhian socialist. Later he studied English and comparative literature in Mysore and Birmingham, where he received his Ph D in 1966. He was professor of English literature at Mysore University for several years and became Vice chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, Kerala. He served as chairman of National Book Trust and president of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Many guest professorships led him to Europe and the USA.

Is one of the most important representatives of the Navya movement in Kannada literature and amongst the most eminent Indian authors. In his writings, the central themes have been the caste system, religious rules and traditions; and he has examined the relationship between the old and new cultural value systems. His most significant novel is Samskara published in 1966. The filming of the novel in 1970 started a new wave of author films in India. His Bharatipura (1973) also deals with the struggle of lower castes for social upliftment and the resistance of upper castes for this.

A prolific writer, Ananthamurthy has published several novels, plays, short stories, poems and essays in Kannada. He also has to his credit many pieces of literature in English. His works have been translated in several Indian and European languages. He was conferred with the Jnanpeeth Award in 1994, the sixth one from Kannada literature.

Girish Karnad

Girish Karnad was born on May 19, 1938 in Maharashtra. He graduated from the Karnatak University in 1958 and then proceeded on a fellowship to Oxford where he obtained his MA degree in 1963. An internationally acclaimed playwright, his fame also rests on his being a talented film-maker and actor, an able cultural administrator, a noted communicator and a person of multifarious interests.

His highly successful plays are based on folklore, mythology and history. He examines challenges of contemporary life and tries to establish relationship between the past and present. Karnad’s play Hayavadana won the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award and the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya award in 1978. His play Nagamandala became very popular in the USA and across the world. Some of his other works are Yayati, Tughalak, Anjumallige, Hittina Hunja, Taledanda, Agni mathu male and Tippuvina Kannasugalu. He has translated his plays into English. They have also been translated into many Indian and foreign languages. He was awarded the Jnanpeeth Award in 1998 for his immense contributions as a playwright.

Karnad has been associated as director, actor and screenplay writer with several successful Kannada films like Samskara, Vamsa Vriksha, Kadu and Kanooru Heggadithi. The first two have won several state and national awards. He has featured in many Hindi movies as well. He has made several documentaries and tele-serials. He served as director of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and chairman of the Central Sangeeth Natak Akademi and the National Academy of Performing Arts. He was a visiting professor at the University of Chicago in 1987-88 and has spoken at many national and international forums on social and cultural issues.

Aihole

Durga Temple (13),
Hucchimalli Gudi (5),
Ladkhan Temple (7),
Meguti Jain Temple (1),
Ravana Phadi cave temple (7),
Two-story Buddhist temple

The village of Aihole (pronunciation: eye-HO-lee) contains over 125 temples from the Early Western Chalukya and later periods (6th - 12th century). Shown here, and on the following pages, are six Early Chalukya examples from the 6th - 8th centuries. The locations of a few other temples are marked with bold x’s on the map, just to give an idea of the richness of the site.

The architecture of Early Western Chalukya reflects diverse influences from neighboring areas. For example, as the Blue Guide (p. 331) explains, curved towers decorated with blind arches are found in central and western India; pilastered walls with panel inserts are a southern Indian style; while the Deccan style includes balcony seating, angled eaves and sloping roofs, and elaborately carved columns and ceilings. Readers can find, in the following pages, many examples of mixed styles, often on the same temple. For example, in the following temple (photo), the left hall is Dravidian (s. India); the middle hall is Rashtrakutan; and the tower is Deccan.

By way of showing the unity within this diversity, Huntington (p.337) identifies some typical features of Early Western Chalukyan architecture. These include mortarless assembly, an emphasis on length rather than width or height, flat roofs, richly carved ceilings, and, sculpturally, an emphasis on relatively few major figures, which tend to be isolated from each other rather than arranged in crowded groups. The aesthetic sensibility of sculpture from this period also seems to retain a certain “classical” quality – the term, by the way, is currently out of fashion – whose impulse does not carry over into later periods of Indian art.

Aihole is located near Badami in the state of Karnataka. The names of the temples are based on recent usage, and do not reflect their original dedications.

Aihole

Famous as the “Cradle of Indian Architecture”, Aihole has over a hundred temples scattered around the village. The oldest temple here is, perhaps, the Lad Khan temple dating back to the 5th Century. The Durga (Fort) Temple is notable for its semi-circular apse, elevated plinth and the gallery that encircles the sanctum. The Hutchimalli Temple out in the village - has a sculpture of Vishnu sitting atop a large cobra.

The Revalphadi Cave - dedicated to Shiva - is remarkable for its delicate details.

Not to be missed is the Konthi Temple Complex (Kwanthi Gudi), the Uma Maheswari Temple with a beautifully carved Brahma seated on a lotus, the austere Jain Meguti Temple and the two storeyed Buddhist Temple.

Getting here:
Rail: The nearest railway station is Begalkot.
Road: Aihole is connected by road to Pattadakal, Badami, Bangalore

Where to stay:
If you need any assistance with booking in any hotel in Karnataka or India in general click here

• Tourist Rest House
  Aihole, Hungund Taluk
  Ph: +91-8352-41
• Tourist Rest Houses of Tourism Department

Ladkana Temple

Ravana-Padi-Cave

Aihole
Temples of Karnataka

Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal near Bijapur in Karnataka are centers of Early Chalukyan art. Badami is located at a distance of about 500 km from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka and is well connected by road

Aihole was the first capital of the early Chalukyas. Aihole is to the west of Badami, along the Malaprabha river, while Pattadakal is to the east. Pulakesi I, one of the greatest rulers of this dynasty, moved the capital to Badami nearby. Badami was then known as Vatapi.

The first phase of temple building in Aihole dates back to the 6th century CE, the second phase to the 12th century.

The Ravanaphadi temple is a rock cut temple, with a rectangular shrine, with two mandapams in front of it and a rock cut Shivalingam. This temple dates back to the second half of the 7th century.

The prominent temple groups here are the Kontigudi group and the Galaganatha group.

A group of three temples is referred to as the Kontigudi group of temples. One of these is the Lad Khan temple, named after a mendicant that lived in this temple in the 19th century , another the Huchiappayyagudi temple and the Huchiappayya math.

The Lad Khan temple consists of a shrine with two mandapams in front of it. The shrine bears a Shiva lingam. The mukha mandapa in front of the sanctum has a set of 12 carved pillars. The sabhamandapa in front of the mukha mandapam has pillars arranged in such a manner as to form two concentric squares. There are also stone grids on the wall carrying floral designs.

The Huchappayyagudi temple has a curvilinear tower (shikhara) over the sanctum (unlike the Lad Khan temple). The interior of the temple has beautiful carvings.

The Galaganatha group is one of nearly 30 temples on the bank of the river Malaprabha. The main shrine of the Galaganatha temple enshrining Shiva - Galaganatha has a curvilinear shikhara, and has images of Ganga and Yamuna at the entrance to ths shrine.

The Huchimalligudi temple at Aihole, built in the 8th century shows an evolution in the temple plan, as it shows an ardhamandapam or an ante-chamber annexed to the main shrine.

The best known of the Aihole temples is the photogenic Durga or the fortress temple. It is apsidal in plan, along the lines of a Buddhist chaitya, a high moulded adisthana and a tower - curvilinear shikhara. A pillared corridor runs around the temple, enveloping the shrine, the mukhamandapa and the sabhamandapa. All through the temple, there are beautiful carvings.

The Meguti Jain temple stands on a hillock. The temple sits on a raised platform, and a flight of steps leads one to the mukhamandapa. The pillared mukhamandapa is a large one. A flight of stairs leads to another shrine on the roof, directly above the main shrine. From the roof, one can have a panoramic view of the plain with a hundred temples or so.

From a historic standpoint, the Meguti temple has an inscription on its foundation stating that it was built in the year 634 CE. This inscription also contains a reference to the poet Kalidasa.

Aihole

History

       Once the capital of the early Chalukyan dynasty (6^th to 8^th centuries), Aihole is a picturesque village on the banks of the Malaprabha river. Variously called Ayyavole & Aryapura in the inscriptions, Aihole is historically famous as the cradle of Hindu temple architecture. There are about 125 temples divided into 22 groups scattered all over the villages and nearby fields. Most of these temples were built between the 6^th & 8^th centuries and some even earlier

Only mere traces of a fort dating from the 6th century can be seen today. A large number of prehistoric sites have been found in Morera Angadigalu, near the Meguti hillocks in Aihole. Excavations near some temples have yielded traces of antique pottery and bases of structures constructed with bricks of pre-Chalukyan times. More temples are being excavated every day bearing witness to the vigorous experimentation on temple architecture which went on at Aihole more than 14 centuries ago..

Durga Temple
The temple derives its name from Durgadagudi meaning ‘temple near the fort’. Dedicated to Vishnu, the temple appears to be a Hindu adaptation of the Buddhist chaitya (hall) with its apsidal end. Standing on a high platform with a ‘rekhanagara’ type of Shikhara, it is the most elaborately decorated monument in Aihole. The columns at the entrance and within the porch are carved with figures and ornamental relief’s. The temple appears to be a late 7^th or early 8^th century construction.

Ladh Khan Temple

The experimental nature of temple building by the Chalukyas is best elaborated in the Ladh Khan Temple, located south of the Durga Temple. Not knowing how to build a temple, they built it in the Panchayat hall style. The windows were filled up with lattice work in the northern style and the sanctum was added later on. The sanctum is built against the back wall and the main shrine has a Shivalinga along with a Nandi. Above the center of the hall, facing the sanctum, is a second smaller sanctum with images carved on the outer walls. The temple, built about 450 AD, gets its name from a Muslim prince who converted it into his residence.

Meguti Temple The only dated monument in Aihole, the Meguti Temple was built atop a small hill in 634 AD. Now partly in ruins, possibly never completed, this temple provides an important evidence of the early development of the Dravidian style of Architecture. The inscription dating the monument is found on one of the outer walls of the temple and records its construction by Ravikeerti, who was a commander & minister of Pulakesin II. Apparently a Jain Temple as seen from the seated Jain figure here, the superstructure rising above the sanctum wall of the temple is not original & the 16-columns porch and hall extension are later additions

Ravanphadi Cave Located south-east of the Hucchimalli Temple, this rock-cut temple is assigned to the 6th century. The sanctum in there are wall is larger than these in Badami cave temples and it is provided with a vestibule flanked by carved panels, entered through a triple entrance. Despite the variety of images found here, the Mahishasuramardhini, the great Dancing Shiva linga with Ganesha and sapta-matrikas and the linga inside the sanctum an overall Shiva application

Hucchimalli Temple
This appears to be one of the earliest groups of temples in Aihole, located to the north of village behind the Tourist Home. The sanctum has a northern style “Rekhanagara” tower over it. The vestibule in front of the sanctum was introduced for the first time here.

Gowda Temple

Close to Ladh Khan Temple & built in the similar lines, the Gowda Temple was dedicated to Bhagavati. Standing on a high molded base and having about 16 fairly plain pillars, this temple was probably built even earlier.
Surayanarayana Temple
Located to the north-east of Ladh Khan Temple, the sanctum of this temple has a 0.6 meter high icon of Surya along with his two consorts Usha & Sandhaya, being drawn by horses. The temple, dating from the 7th - 8th centuries, has a four pillared inner and a ‘Rekhanagara’ tower over the sanctum.
Konti Group of Temples
Situated in the middle of bazaar, the earliest of these temples was probably built in the 5th century. The first temple has panels of Bramha, Shiva & a reclined Vishnu on the ceiling.
Museum & Art Gallery

A sculpture gallery ismaintained by the Archaeological Survey of India in the Durga Temple compels.

Area	4 sq. Kms.
Altitude	593 meter
Temperature	Mean Max	Mean Min
Summer	41oC	28oC
Winter	31oC	20oC
Rainfall	58.4 cms
Best Seasons	October to March
Clothing	Summer - Light Cottons Winters - Light Woolens
Population	2,549 (1981 Census)

Food Specialities

No specialty restaurants are available at Aihole. Small tea shops serving snacks can be found. Food can be served by the Tourist Homes at Aihole but on advance notice

Shopping at Aihole

Ilkal (36 Kms) is famous for its traditional handloom, art silk and silk sarees

Cultural Importance of the Town

• Aihole has a Hindu temple in Ramalinga Temple & Muslim Mosque. The Ramalinga Temple situated along the banks of the Malaprabha river has its annual Car Festival in February-March

Durga Temple

Ladh Khan Temple

Meguti Temple

Ravanphadi Caves Temple

Hucchimalli Temple