Belur Chennakeshava Temple: Entrance to the Ranganayaki Shrine

Entranc to the Ranganayaki Shrine situated northwest of the Belur Chennakeshava Temple complex in Karnataka, India

Ranganayaki Shrine Entrance

Ranganayaki Shrine Entrance
The Ranganayaki Shrine (also known as the Andal) is a small but an ornate building located northwest of the main Chennakeshava Temple, Karnataka, India. As the name suggests, it is a shrine dedicated to Goddess Ranganayaki, a consort of Ranganatha.

Ranganayaki and Ranganatha are local names for Lakshmi and Vishnu, respectively. Ranganatha is a form of Maha Vishnu portrayed as reclining on Adishesha floating on the cosmic ocean.

The carving style and decoration of the Ranganayaki Shrine appear different from the main temple because it was built much later during the Vijayanagara period. The Vijayanagara builders reused a lot of stone materials from the existing Hoysala temples, including some Jain temples.

Related Pages
Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Bracket Figures
Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Navaranga
Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Garbhagriha Outer Wall
Somanathapura Keshava Temple – A Masterpiece of Hoysala Temple Art

Copyright © 2020 by Lawrence Rodrigues. All rights reserved.

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