Banavasi

Banavasi ; ಬನವಾಸಿ
State :	India
State :	Karnataka
District :	Uttara Kannada
Sub-district :	Sirsi
Location :	14 ° 32 ' N , 75 ° 1' E Coordinates: 14 ° 32 ' N , 75 ° 1' E
Height :	572 m
Area :	7.4 km²
Residents :	6,783 (2011)
Population density :	917 inhabitants / km²
	Banavasi, temple complex

Madhukeshwara Temple

Vestibule ( mandapa ) of the temple with partially turned stone columns and a Nandi figure

Banavasi ( Kannada : ಬನವಾಸಿ Banavāsi ) is now a small town with just under 7,000 inhabitants in the Indian state of Karnataka ( Taluk Sirsi in the Uttara Kannada district ). However, the city is possibly over 2500 years old and was the capital of the Kadamba Empire from the 4th to the 6th centuries .

Location and climate

Banavasi is located on the Varada River in the middle of the Western Ghats mountain range at an altitude of around 575 m, around 100 km (driving distance) south of Hubli and around 235 km northwest of the Hoysala centers Belur and Halebid . The climate in Banavasi is tropical and warm; Rain (approx. 1965 mm / year) falls almost exclusively in the monsoon months from June to October.

Residents

The inhabitants of the small town are almost exclusively Hindus; the male share of the population is - as is customary in censuses in India - about 5% higher than the female. They speak Kannada and Hindi .

economy

The rural area is comparatively rich in water and so rice, sugar cane, pineapple, vegetables, mangoes etc. are planted and harvested. The city is characterized by retail trade, crafts and smaller service companies. Tourism plays almost no role.

history

Banavasi's history probably goes back a long way. The place is first mentioned, however, in the time of the Kadamba Empire, which emerged in the second half of the 4th century. A few copper coins found here and in the vicinity are dated to the 6th century (see web link). In the 10th century the Kadamba empire experienced another brief period of prosperity - several temples were built in the town itself and in the surrounding area, of which the Madhukeshwara temple is the most important; it even contains - absolutely unusual for India - the throne of a ruler.

Attractions

The Madhukeshwara Temple is one of the oldest surviving temple structures in Karnataka. It is dedicated to the god Shiva and most researchers date it to the 8th or 9th century, which is quite possible due to the poorly structured construction and the simple window panels on the outer wall of the sanctuary area. The multi-tiered tower pyramid ends in a building simulation with a dome-like closure ( stupika ), on which a kalasha jug is placed at the very top . The multi-aisled vestibule ( mandapa ) surrounded by balconies ( jharokhas ) with its forest of partly turned columns seems to have been added about 100 years later. Here you can find both the figure of a resting bull ( nandi ), which takes up almost the entire height of the room, and a stone throne seat. In the actual cella ( garbhagriha ) there is a lingam . The pitched roof made of stone slabs protrudes far outwards and thus keeps rainwater away from the building.