Saumyakeshava temple, Nagamangala

Saumyakeshava
Saumyakeshava temple (12th century AD) at Nagamangala
Geography
Coordinates	12°49′10″N 76°45′13″E / 12.81944°N 76.75361°E / 12.81944; 76.75361Coordinates: 12°49′10″N 76°45′13″E / 12.81944°N 76.75361°E / 12.81944; 76.75361
Country	India
State/province	Karnataka
District	Mandya
Locale	Nagamangala
History and governance
Date built	12th century AD

The Saumyakeshava temple (also spelt Sauymakesava or Soumyakeshava) at Nagamangala was constructed in the 12th century by the rulers of the Hoysala empire. Nagamangala is a town in the Mandya district of Karnataka state, India. It is located 62 km from the historically important town Mysore, on the Srirangapatna-Sira highway. Historically, Nagamangala came into prominence during the rule of Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana when it became an important center of Vaishnava faith and received patronage from one of his queens, Bommaladevi. During the rule of Veera Ballala II, Nagamangala prospered as an agrahara (place of Hindu religious studies) and had the honorific Vira Ballala Chaturvedi Bhattaratnakara. The temple is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.

According to art historian Adam Hardy, the basic plan of the shrine (mulaprasada) is stellate (star shaped). It stands on a platform called jagati and is constructed with Soap stone material. According to historian Percy Brown this is a Hoysala innovation. Overall, the temple exhibits the nagara features (northern Indian influence) seen in a few other Hoysala temples such as in the Sadasiva Temple, Nuggehalli. According to art historians Gerard Foekema and Percy Brown, nagara features are seldom seen in Hoysala temples. The temple is a large structure and has received patronage by multiple dynasties and reveals features of the later day Vijayanagara empire whose rulers added the entrance and tower over it (mahadvara) and bounding walls (prakara). Some post-Vijayanagara features are also visible. The tower over the entrance (gopuram) is a 7-story tall lime and brick structure that is adorned by Hindu gods, goddesses and other decorative structures in stucco.