Belur Chennakeshava Temple: Nāga Devaté (Snake Goddess) in the Sālu Mantapa

Nāga Devaté (Snake Goddess) in the Sālu Mantapa of the Belur Chennakeshava Temple in Karnataka, India

Snake Goddess in the Sālu Mantapa

Snake Goddess
The image shows a wall in the Sālu Mantapa with a beautifully carved sculpture of a snake goddess, locally known as Nāga Devaté. As you can see, surrounding the snake goddess are numerous sculptures of nāgas (snakes).

The Sālu Mantapa is a gallery situated on the northern perimeter of the Belur Chennakeshava Temple, about 150 miles west of Bengaluru in India. The pillars and roof of the Sālu Mantapa are part of the original construction. However, the sculptures and reliefs were later added to the wall as part of the restoration in the 20th century.

Before the restoration, the courtyard of the temple was filled with a treasure trove of artifacts, including stone sculptures and inscriptions from different periods. These artifacts were of great interest to archaeologists and historians, who studied them in detail and categorized them. The restoration of the Sālu Mantapa included embedding some of these objects into the wall.

Other Sālu Mantapa Images
Nāga Sculptural Reliefs
A Section of the Sālu Mantapa

Bracket figures mounted below the temple eaves

Shilābālikes – Female Bracket Figures
Darpana Sundari, Sukha Bhasini, Nātya Sundari, Gāna Sundari, Kesha Sundari, Tribhangi, Nagna Sundari, Kapala Durga, Koravanji, Nātya Mohini, Betegarthi

Male Bracket Figures
Flute playing male musician
Narthaka – Davane playing male dancer
Davane playing male musician

Hoysala Temples:
Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Bracket Figures
Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Navaranga
Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Garbhagriha Outer Wall
Kappe Chennigaraya Shrine
Somanathapura Keshava Temple
Badami Chalukya Temples:
Badami, Cave – 1, Cave – 2, Cave – 3, Cave – 4
Durga Temple at Aihole

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