Keladi

Keladi ; ಕೆಳದಿ
State :	India
State :	Karnataka
District :	Śivamogga
Location :	14 ° 14 ′ N , 75 ° 1 ′ E Coordinates: 14 ° 14 ′ N , 75 ° 1 ′ E
Height :	610 m
Residents :	2,404 (2011)
	Keladi - Rameshvara Temple

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Keladi ( Kannada ಕೆಳದಿ ) is a village with around 2,500 inhabitants in the municipality ( taluk ) of Sagar in the Shimoga district in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka .

location

Keladi is located in the rainy and wooded Western Ghats at an altitude of about 610 m above sea level. d. M. The city of Sagar is only 10 km south; the district capital Shivamogga is about 80 km (driving distance) to the southeast. The climate is often humid; Rain falls mainly during the monsoon months June to September.

population

The majority of the Kannada- speaking population consists of approx. 95% Hindus ; Muslims are a numerically small minority. The male and female proportions of the population are roughly the same.

economy

The inhabitants of Keladi live largely as farmers. Rice is mainly grown in the fields , but betel palms and other aromatic plants such as pepper , cinnamon , nutmeg and cloves also play an important role in the local economy.

history

Keladi became the seat of a governor of the Vijayanagar Empire in the 16th century . After its defeat against the army of the Islamic Deccan sultanate in the Battle of Talikota (1565) it was, along with Ikkeri, one of the two main places of the quasi-independent rulership of the Nayaks of Keladi .

Attractions

Rameshvara Temple, vestibule

The main attraction of the place is the Rameshvara temple, which is consecrated to the Hindu god Shiva and surrounded on all sides by court buildings, the architecture of which is equally influenced by the traditions of the Hoysalas and Hampi ; the construction can be dated to around 1520. The main shrine is accompanied by two other shrines in honor of the gods Virabhadra (creature or aspect of Shiva) and Parvati (wife of Shiva). The flat-roofed temple structure, which shows little in the way of figurative ornamentation, consists of a sanctuary area protected by bars and a vestibule ( mandapa ) supported by numerous columns or pillars with Yali monsters . The ceiling of the vestibule is adorned with numerous braided ribbon and rosette motifs as well as a few almost European-looking double-headed bird reliefs, which are variously interpreted as garudas ; they tear lions apart with their beaks and their claws are dug into the backs of elephants. The wooden ceilings and pillars of the entrances in the courtyard border also deserve attention.