Historic temple cries for attention

Owing to negligence by the Muzrai and archaeological departments, an ancient temple dating back to the period of Hoysala dynasty, is in a deplorable condition.

The Yoganarasimha Temple in Baggavalli village is deprived of care and maintenance for decades. The temple is only 6 km away from Ajjampura taluk centre.

The stones of the ‘Mukhamantapa’, at the entrance of the temple and the stone slabs at the base, are in a deplorable condition.

The pillars of the ‘Mukhamantapa’ are leaning away from their base. Also, the gap between the idols on the walls of the temple has widened.

The temple ‘Shikhara’ has developed cracks. The drifting of the stone slabs on the wall due to natural calamities is resulting in the temple becoming dilapidated.

The beautiful carvings have lost their sheen owing to lack of maintenance. Some miscreants have carved their names and initials on the fine pillars of the temple.

There are idols of deities Yoganarasimha, Sharadamba, Chennamallikarjuna Swami, Ganapathi and Anjaneya. These idols depict the finest work of carving. The temple reflects the Hoysala style of architecture. But no tourists turn up at the temple due to lack of information.

Baggavalli Gran Panchayat Vice President Siddegowda said that the concerned authorities should pay attention to the facelift of the temple, retaining its original beauty.

Krishnamurthy, a devotee of the temple, said that the temple is a part of the rich legacy of Hoysala dynasty and is a historic place.

The temple is an asset of the archaeology department. Under expert guidance, the department should take up the work to reassemble the withered stone slabs of the temple, to prevent the temple from collapse, he added.

The local residents said that even though the tourism department has added Yoganarasimha Temple to the list of tourist spots, no proper measures are being taken up to provide publicity to attracting tourists. There are no signboards indicating the direction of the temple. No official from the department has turned up at the historic spot.

The temple priest said that special prayers are held in the temple during Narasimha Jayanthi, Karthika Deepothsava and Vaikuntha Ekadashi. Some devotees offer sacred fire rituals and ablutions to the presiding deity, on fulfilment of their vows.

People believe that the presiding deity Sri Yoganarasimha Swamy provides relief from ‘Kuja Dohsa’ and health ailments, he added.