ADHVAGATI

The priest says it was built by the same Malla Byre Gowda of Avati  ( 16 th cent) who built the original fort. But the Venugoplaswami temple inside Devanahalli Fort is today an amalgam of styles. It has a typical dravidian tower, chalukyan style sculptures, ( though much less flamboyant than elsewhere ), a Vijayanagar style presiding idol in the sanctum and two Ganga period Vishnus with prayoga chakras standing guard outside the tower. The wall panels are most interesting as they show scenes from the much loved epics, like a picture book. The pillars in the navaranga have assorted images, which range from the basic to the exquisite. It is a living temple and the paraphrenalia for the Teru festival were getting spruced up, all gleaming and  pretty, when we visited.  The Vishnu of the Gangas , with prayoga chakra .  Was painting him necessary ? 

Wonderstruck by the Devara kaadu ( Sacred Grove) Nallur Thopu , now called Nallur Biodiversity Heritage Grove .The first of such sites in India.  Near Devanahalli .  54 Acres , 295 Tamarind trees , the oldest being 410 yrs old . The Thopu is believed to have originated 800 years ago , under Chola reign . To prove which , some remnants of a Chola period temples are found scattered in the grove,. Still , the beautiful sculpted walls stand intact .  Just outside the Grove are two other plain ones have fallen apart. And the stray shepherd there spins a tale of pots of treasure dug up and spirited away from there .....yarns for our entertainment i guess !    Inside the grove is also a fully rebuilt Gangamma temple of unknown antiquity.  There's a forlorn beauty , finding  the little, lonely temple nestling among the giant old trees.........     Gangamma Shrine :