Vintage photographs of the temples of Kerala

Photograph of the Vishnu Temple at Govindapuram in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, taken by a photographer of the Archaeological Survey of India on the 1st February 1902. 


Photograph of the Bhagavati Temple at Tiruvalathur in the Palakkad (Palghat) district of Kerala, taken by a photographer of the Archaeological Survey of India on the 1st February 1901


Lakshmi Devi Temple, Doddagaddavalli



Doddagaddavalli is about 16 KM from Hassan on the Hassan - Belur highway,The temple build in 1114 C E commissioned by a merchant called Kullahana Rahuta and his wife Sahaja Devi,a gold merchant from Kolhapur ,The Lakshmi Devi temple found here is a small and modest monument, placed in the centre of a walled courtyard, This temple is  unique because its a mix of Hoysala, Kadamba and Chalukya artitecture , The temple is a chaturkuta model , and this is the only chaturkuta Hoysala temple I have seen , 

Hoysala Paintings

Though the sculptural wealth of the Hoysalas is very well known through the magnificent examples of architecture and sculpture all over their realm, no example of the painter's art has been discovered so far. though  no murals have been noticed in any of the temples, fortunately there are specimens of painting of the Hoysala period from their territory preserver for us in Moodbidri. These are painted palm leaf manuscripts at the Jain pontifical seat at Moodbidri and are objects of worship

These manuscripts, fortunately have been well taken care of in the ancient library at Moodbidri. By their paleography , clearly of the Hoysala period, and closely resembling the lithic as well as the copper-plate inscriptions of Vishnuvardana's time, they have survived , with their paintings of quality in bright colour, to give an idea of the art of Hoysala painter. it is interesting to compare the writing in these manuscript , with the letters composing the flowery lines in the metal plates from Belur temple. These paintings must be attributed to the time of Vishnuvardhana and his wife  Santala , who was so devoted to Jainism


Vintage Photos of Kolhapur

H.H. Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj seated with palace servants


Courtyard of the old Rajwada Palace