Temple Description

Located in Nuggehalli village, Hassan district, Karnataka, India, the Lakshmi Narasimha temple is a 13th-century Hindu temple featuring Hoysala architecture. This three shrine Vaishnava complex is dedicated to Keshava, Lakshmi Narasimha and Venugopala. Bommanna Dandanayaka, a commander in the Hoysala Empire under King Vira Someshwara’s reign, constructed it in 1246 CE. Vaishnava reliefs, Shaiva reliefs of Harihara, Dakshinamurti, Chandikesvara, and Ganesha, Shakti reliefs of Durga Mahisasuramardini, dancing Lakshmi, and Saraswati, and Vedic deities like Surya and Brahma are among the temple’s most significant features. Scenes from the Bhagavata Purana and Hindu epics are shown in the lower portion. Particularly noteworthy are the pieces of art that Hoysala artist Mallitamma made and signed.

Nuggehalli, also called Nuggihalli or Nuggelli, is a place in the Indian state of Karnataka’s Channarayapatna taluk, which is part of the Hassan district. It is roughly 50 miles from Hassan city on the Tiptur-Channarayapatna state route (NH 75, SH 47). Situated approximately 80 km southeast of Halebidu, it has excellent road connectivity to Bangalore, the state capital.

Prior to the fourteenth century, the town was known as Vijaya Somanathapura, and during the reign of Bommanna Dandanayaka, it became significant as an agrahara, or center of learning. Under King Vira Someshwara’s reign, Bommanna Dandanayaka, a commander in the Hoysala Empire, constructed the Lakshmi Narasimha temple in 1246 CE. It’s a fine example of Hoysala architecture from the thirteenth century. The Sadashiva temple sits nearby in Nuggehalli and was constructed at about the same period.