The Keshava Temple in Mysore, Karnataka was built in 1268 A.D. by Somadannayaka, a minister to King Narasimha III of the Hoysala dynasty. The temple is built in the Hoysala style of architecture. It is a superb example of the wonderful work of ancient Indian artists in stone. The Somnathpur temple is enclosed by huge courtyard, measuring 220 feet by 180 feet. A veranda, divided into cells, runs around the courtyard. The towers are all elegantly carved with beautiful designs and the workmanship on all three of them is faultless.
The most alluring of the art of the Somnathpur lies on its outer walls. The walls contain beautiful figures of gods and goddesses from the Hindu mythology, carved with a fineness that is exquisite. There are as many as 194 such images and every one of them is a work of art, sculptured with patient accuracy. Of the images, most represent Lord Vishnu in his different forms and avatars. Amongst the rest, those that deserve mention are of Garuda with Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi on his shoulders, Indra on his divine elephant Airavata and the gods and goddesses like Ganapati, Lakshmi and Saraswati in various dancing poses.
Running completely around the walls of the temple are four friezes. The first contains rows of caparisoned elephants, each elephant being delicately sculptured in full detail. The third frieze is of scroll-work. The fourth is the most interesting one of the series, for it contains scenes from the Indian epics curved on it. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata are all represented there, one of the friezes being devoted for one incident from an epic.
The temple originally contained three images in it, of Keshava, Venugopala and Janardan. The figure of Keshava, which, according to all accounts, must have been a brilliant example of a god in stone, is missing. Nobody knows who carried it off and in spite of best efforts, it has not been traced. The other images, of Venugopala and Janardana were good specimens of work. Both stand six feet high on their pedestal and unfortunately both are mutilated.
The roof of the temple carries with it a set of fifteen ceilings. Each one of these ceilings is nearly three feet deep and is carved out of a single stone. The carvings are excellently done and represent intricate floral and geometrical designs.
Though tradition ascribes the building of this temple to one sculptor, Jakanachari, it was constructed by a group of sculptors, who, very singularly, have left their signatures in stone. The signatures, which occur under most of the big images of the temple, tell us that a group of eight artists carved out the image of the temple. Of these, the most prominent sculptor was Mallitamma, for he has left his name under as many as forty different pieces of work. There is a legend around this temple, a legend supported by the unusual position of its Pillar of Garuda. In all Hindu temples, this pillar must be exactly in front of the main entrance, but here it is a few feet to a side.
It seems that the gods in Indra`s heaven were so pleased with the beauty of this temple that they thought it unfit to be on the earth and wished to have it in heaven. In accordance with their wish, the temple began to rise from its foundations. Jakanachari seeing that the earth was about to be bereft of so fine a structure, ran towards it and made one of its figures imperfect by striking at it with his mallet. As the temple new lost its perfection, it descended to the earth again, but in doing so, occupied a position which was different from the former one.
