Sampige Siddeshwara Temple in Chitradurga Fort
Chitradurga Fort is dotted with several temples. It may be difficult to cover all temples inside the Chitradurga Fort especially if you have just around two or three hours to tour the fort.
The prominent among them is the Sampige Siddeshwara Temple. The temple of Siddeshwara is a cave temple associated with a hillock named Mukthi Shivalaya Shikhara (liberation-abode of Shiva-pinnacle). Located on the southern side, the temple gets its name Sampige Siddeshwara because of the Michelia Champaca, the magnolia flowers, called Sampige in Kannada language.
The guide said, there were plenty of magnolia flowers growing around this cave temple and the place smelled heavenly with its fragrance.
The Mahadwara (grand entrance) at Sampige Siddeshwara Temple, inside Chitradurga Fort, near Bangalore.
Sampige Siddeshwara Temple Chitradurga Fort
Walk around to see the sanctum, vestibule and hall of the temple. Inside the sanctum there is Shiva Linga that is worshiped on a daily basis as Sidhanta, thus the name Siddheshwar for the temple. The worship of this deity is associated with Veerashaiva Saints like Revannasiddha (Sri Revana Siddeshwara Swamy is thought to be one in every of the best Saints of the Shaiva Sect within the Hindu faith).
The hall has sculptures of Allama Prabhu, Ganesha, Shula, Brahma, Nandi, Bhairava and several Naga stones. At one corner there is an impressive statue of Veerabhadra.
Coronation in Sampige Siddeshwara Temple
In the courtyard there is a huge squarish platform where the palegars and chiefs of Chitradurga Fort were crowned once. In its heyday this place must have seen a lot of ceremonial activities, now it is bare and mute. Amazes me how time can rip off the importance and grandeur. Nothing is permanent!
An inscription of 1355 AD there records the construction of the stone mahadwara pavilion at the entrance.
Read more – 20 Rock Cut Cave Temples of India
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(updated post of Aug2, 2012)
Chitradurga fort is very nice, I have been there plenty of times as used to stay nearby.
Good clicks.
hope your dilemma will get sorted out soon.
what an interesting sight to see.
Beautiful..!
Lovely captures!
Nice photo. The angle of the camera keeps the buruju(watch tower) to the left, made me wonder about where you clicked it from. If I am not wrong, it must be 14.2145405N 76.3956782E?
Hello Indrani. I saw your name announced at indiblogger. so was trying to find you! you arrived late i guess? Missed a chance to meet. Hopefully next time.
good pictures
This is really interesting…
saadepunjab.com
What a tall entrance tower.
lovely place…this is on my travel wish list
The entrance is so dramatic against the blue sky. I'll cross my fingers for your internet issues.
Glad to stop over here! That is one incredible place.
Beautiful temple. Got to head there.
Old Indian temples always make me think of The Jungle Book 🙂
I hope your Internet problems will be fixed soon!
I do hope your internet problems are solved soon, Indrani! I do know how frustrating it can be — been through it myself a couple of years ago!! Your photos are wonderful and I love that BLUE sky in the first shot! Hope you have a good, problem free weekend!!
I'm sorry you're having internet woes. Your wonderful photography is enticing as ever. I just can not imagine gazing upon such history.