The Gang Dynasty of Talkad: Karnataka History

The Ganga period witnessed the popularity of Jainism and Vedicreligion. Scholars like Lewis Rice, S. R. Sharma or M. V. KrishnaRao, believed that the Ganga rulers were Jains, and that a JainaAcharya, Simhanadi, was instrumental in founding the Kingdom. Dr. S.Srikanta Sastri was of the opinion that Durvinita was a Vaishnava.Inscriptions speak of the Kalamukhas, Pasupatas and Lokayatas whoflourished in Gangavadi. However, from the time of Shivamara II, theGanga rulers appear to have embraced Jainism. Perhaps his contactswith the Jaina saints and Philosophers like Toranacharya andPushpanandi must have contributed to this change in faith.

In fact, the Ganga period witnessed the activities of several Jainasaints and scholars like Pujyapada, Jinasena, Ajitasena, Akalanka orNemichandrasiddanta. Many Jaina basadis were built at Manne,Sravanabelagola and Kambadahalli. The great minister Chavundaraya wasa champion of Jainism and the Gomata monolith at Sravanabelagola is astanding testimony to his religious fervour. However, whether thefollowers of Vedic religion or of Jainism, the Ganga monarchs alwaysremained tolerant in their religious attitude.

Education was imparted in the Agraharas, Brahmapuris, Ghatikas and inMathas. Vedas, Vedangas, the Dharmasastras, the Smritis and thePuranas were taught as part of religious studies. Among the secularsubjects, mention may be made of the six systems of Philosophy,Itihasas, Vyakarana, poetry, medicine, astrology, music, archery andso on. Vocational education was promoted through craft guilds.

The Ganga period was one of brisk literary activity, in Sanskrit,Prakrit and Kannada. Many Kings of this period were Scholars andwriters of repute. Madhava II wrote Dattaka Sutra, a treatise onerotics. Durvinita, whose literary prowess is mentioned in theKavirajamarga, was a great author. He translated Gunadya's Vaddakathainto Sanskrit, wrote a commentary on the 15th sarga of Bharavi'sKiratarjuniya and wrote Sabdavatara, a Sanskrit work on grammar.Sripurusha wrote Gajasastra, a treatise on elephants. Shivamara IIwas the author of Gajashtaka, a Kannada work on elephant management,and Sethubandha in Prakrit.

A number of Scholars of great reputation flourished in the Gangaperiod. The redoubtable Bharavi is believed to have visited the Courtof Durvinita. Pujyapada was the author of Sarvathasiddi and JinendraVyakarana. Hemasena or Vidya Dhananjaya was patronized by Butuga IIand he wrote Raghavpandaviya. His pupil Vidhibhasimha was the authorof Gadyachintamani and Kshatrachudamani. Chavundaraya, the famousGanga minister, was the author of Chavundarayapurana. He is alsobelieved to have patronized Ranna during his early days and also theKannada grammarian Gunavarma. Nagavarma, the author of Chandombhudhi,is said to have been patronized by Rakkasaganga. In short, the Gangasoffered a very fertile ground for literary cultivation, and itcertainly yielded a wholesome harvest.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE:
The Gangas made significant contribution to Karnataka heritage in therealm of art and architecture. Scholars think that there was aconsiderable impact of the Pallava as well as the early Chalukyanstyle on the Ganga constructions. It is also pointed out that theGanga architecture is predominantly Jaina. A number of monuments havesurvived to mirror the Ganga tradition of architecture. TheKapileswara temple at Manne, the Hanumantesvara temple at Bannur, theRameswara temple at Narasamangala are some of the monuments of theearly Ganga period. The Bhoganandi shrine at Nandi is a beautifulshrine with lovely sculptures and an exquisite tower. Talkad, theGanga capital has a few temples like the Maralesvara temple, theArakesvara temple, the Patalesvara temple or the Mahalingesvaratemple. In the Tamil country too a few Ganga structures have beenidentified, like the Koranganatha temple at Srinivasanallur andMahimalesvara temple at Erode. Among other Ganga temples ofimportance, mention may be made of the Mahalingesvara temple atVaruna, the Kallesvara temple at Aralaguppe, the Yoga Narasimhatemple at Dadiga and Dadigesvara temple at Kodihalli.

The Jaina monuments are mostly centered around the two hillocksnamely Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri in Sravanabelagola. Of these, theChandraprabha basadi belongs to the period of Shivamara II, and is abeautiful structure with a Garbhagriha, a Sukhanasi, a Navaranga anda porch. The Iruve-Brahmadeva temple is a small shrine which belongsto the 9th century A. D. the Chavundaraya basadi (10th century) isone of the largest structures in the area, and is dedicated toNeminatha. Its Vimana has two more storeys, in addition to the lowerstorey, which is long. The Panchakuta basadi at Kambadahalli isanother fine monument of this period. Rajamalla I constructed a caveJaina temple at Vallimalai in Chittore district.

The erection of free-standing pillars constitutes an interestingfeature of the Ganga art. These Jaina pillars are of two typesnamely, Manasthambas and Brahmasthambhas or Brahmadeva pillars.Manasthambhas, also known as Indrasthamba pillars are those whichhave a pavilion at the top, which contains the Jaina figures facingfour different directions. In the Brahmasthambha, the Jaina figure issubstituted by a seated figure of Brahma at the top. The hugeBrahmadeva pillar at Chandragiri in Sravanabelagola and the TyagadaBrahmadeva pillar at Vindhyagiri of the same place are the twoexamples of the free-standing pillars of this period. Dr. VincentSmith extols their beauty when he says, " In the whole range ofIndian art, there is nothing perhaps equal to the pillars for goodtaste".

The Ganga temples and basadis provide ample evidences to the growingmaturity of their sculptural art. Even their inscriptions offerexcellent sculptural pieces. The Atkur inscription depicts a scene offight between a hound and a boar; the Doddahundi inscription depictsthe scene of Nitimarga's death, and it has all the elements ofdignity and pathos befitting the occasion.

The crowning achievement of the Ganga sculptural art is the statue ofGomatesvara at Vindhyagiri in Sravanabelagola. It is 57 feet high,hardly 10 foot less than the statue of Sphinx of Egypt. It was carvedout of the mighty granite outcrop, at orders of the Ganga ministerChavundaraya, and the work was completed in 984 A. D. Entirely nude,this Indian colossus stands erect, facing the north, with squareface, curly locks, elongated ear-lobes, broad shoulders and a smallwaist. The half-closed eyes indicate the saint's meditative mood,while his lips exuding a gentle smile seems to tell us how transientthe affairs of the world are.
Gomata stands with an expression wonderfully calm, serene anddivinely radiant, silently preaching to the sinning world the basicnecessities of detachment, patience and love to attain happiness inthis world and beyond. Venkoba Rao has described it as a crowningachievement of Indian art, and the noblest creation of man in praiseof God. As Percy Brown has pointed out, through the surge and stressof over a thousand years, this solemn and impassive figure has defiedelements, and the high finish of its workmanship still remains.Surely Blake had visions of such a monumental image when he wrote,

" …… Reared his mighty stature; on Earth stood his feet.His naked limbs glittering upon the dark blue sky where the Eaglescry and the Vultures laugh".

Chamundraya and Shravanbelagola | Karnataka History

Dr. H.A. Parshwanath

Chamundaraya1, the minister of the Gangas, has carved an indelible record in the glorious history of Shravanabelagola. He was a politician, commander-in-chief, religious patron and generic writer who enriched the culture of the place and Karnataka. He played an important role in the history of Shravanabelagola.

It is said that he hailed from the southern part of Madurai. His mother Kalaladevi was instrumental in all his religious contributions to the land. His wife Ajithadevi, son Jinadevanna, sister Pulavvae and brother Nagaverma proved to be the earnest devotees of Jina and adorned Gangas. He was born probably in A.D. 940. The guidance of Acharya Simhanandi stood as the rock stone in his achievements and moulded the personality. The association of Chavundaraya with Marasimha III has blended together in a harmonious way. Chavundaraya was a Brahmakshatriya by inheritance. His grandfather Govindamayyiah laid the foundation of religious fervour. Govindamayyiah and his younger brother Ishwaraiah lived together like Bhima and Arjuna and served under Marasimha. Mahabalaiah, the father of Chamundaraya was known for his generosity, ability and virtuosity. Chavundaraya fought for Marasimha and defeated Chaladanka Ganga and also Madurachayya. He fought bravely against Nolambas and supported Marasimha. He was called Veramarthanda due to his valour and bravery. He also defeated Rajaditya and Vajvala.

He developed interest in the Jaina religion by studying the works of Acharya Jiansena and Acharya Gunabadhra. He propagated Jainism through his meritorious works. He was a prolific writer in Kannada and Sanskrit languages. He wrote Chavundarayapurana (A.D. 978), also called as Trishashtishalakapurusharu. He adopted the gist of Mahapurana in this work. He wrote Charitrasara in Sanskrit and the work deals with Jaina ceremonies and rituals observed by Gruhastas and Munis. He had a great patronage for the poets Nagaverma and Ranna. Ranna composed Gadayuddha and Ajithanathapurana. Ranna named his son as Raya as an index of his affection for Chavundaraya. Nagaverma wrote Chadombudhi.

He was an ardent disciple of Ajithasenacharya of Bankapur and Nemichandracharya who inspired him to serve the cause of Jaina religion. He was called by various titles such as Veeramarthanda, Ranarangasinga, Samaradurandara, Samyaktva Ratnakara, Vairikulakaladanda, Bujavikrama, Chaladankaganga, Samaraparashurama, Pratipaksha Rakshasa, Bhatamari, Subatachudamani, Brahmakshatra Shikamani, Gunaratnabhushana, Bhujavikrama, Ripukulasamhari, Sandivigrahi, Tribhuvanaveera, Chamupathi, Kavijanashekara, Shauchabharana, Devaraja and Satya Yudishtira. He has etched his image in the fields of literature, religion, politics and art and architecture. He was the great son of Karnataka. Nemichandracharya also influenced him immensely and hence Chavundaraya constructed a temple in his name. The Acharya dedicated Gommatasara, the amalgamative work of Dhavala and Mahadhavala as a recognition of his devotion and dedication to Jaina heritage. He called him Vera Marthandi and immortalised his name.

Engraving Of Bahubali Idol
The magnificent monolithic statue of Lord Gommateshwara atop the Indragiri was the greatest contribution of Chavundaraya. His revered mother Kalaladevi was greatly influenced by the narration of Bahubali's meditation and sacrifice imparting the value of indefiniteness of life as depicted by Siddantha Chakravarthi Nemichandra Swamiji in his discourse. Bahubali stood as a symbol of sacrifice and Bharatha as that of possessiveness of wealth and pleasure of the kingdom. She dreamt the vision of Lord Gommateshwara and had expressed here desire to have a darshan in Paudanapura where the statue of Bahubali was installed by Bharatha. She gave up taking food and water till she had the glimpse of Lord Bahubali. But it was a difficult task to travel to Paudanapura and also she learnt that the statue of Bahubali was encircled with serpents and thick forests. Furthermore it was an arduous task to have the glimpse of Lord Gommateshwara situated in the thick forests of Paudanapura. In order to fulfill the desire of his mother he proceeded towards Paudanapura and stayed in Kalvappu2 for some time on the way. Goddess Padmavathi, appeared and blessed him in his dream and advised him to bow the arrows towards Indragiri from Chandragiri to have the darshan of Bahubali, according to Panchabanas Bhujabalacharita. Eventually the collasal statue of Bahubali was engraved by Chavundaraya spreading the message of sacrifice, nonviolence and truth to the world.

According to Govinda Pai the National poet the installation ceremony was held on Monday, 14th March, A.D. 981. The sculptor of this mega statue is said to be Arishtanemi (Bharatoja). Chavundaraya himself conducted the first mahamasthakabhishekha on 14-3-981. He donated 88 villages generating 96,000 varahas and its utility for the pooja celebration of Lord Gommateshwara.

Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar
Tyagada Brahmadeva pillar on Indragiri goes in the name of Chavundaraya. The pillar measures about ten feet and is encircled with artistic flowers and tendrils. There is engraving of Sri Chavundaraya with Chamaradharis and his guru Nemichandracharya in the lower portion of the pillar. The northern side of the pillar contains the inscription narrating the valour of Chavundaraya.

Akhanda Bagilu
This was also said to be the contribution of Chavundaraya and it is a good piece of art and architecture of the Gangas. The lintel portion of it shows the GajaLakshmi in sitting posture which is a beautiful piece of art with the devi holding flowers in her hand.

The other sculptural and architectural contribution of Chavundaraya include Sri Kushmandini devi in the form of Gulakayajji, Bhadrashale, Patala Kamba, Yaksha Kamba and also the steps to Indragiri.

Chavundaraya Basadi
This temple is a two storeyed structure and was constructed with Lord Neminatha as the main deity during the period A.D. 982-85. This occupies a unique position among the 14 jinalayas spread out on the Chandragiri. The temple resembles Pallava style of architecture and however it also resembles the influence of Gangas style of architecture. One can see the inscription, 'Sri Chavundaraya Madisidam' (constructed by Chavundaraya) near the main entrance. This temple is called Trailokyaranjana and Boppa Jinalaya in Hoysala inscriptions. It has two sanctum sanctoria with simple walls and artistic lintels. The inscription (A.D. 1138) found at the pedestal of Neminatha Tirthankara describes that it was installed by Eachana the son of Gangaraja who was in the court of Hoysala Vishnuvardhana. It was carved by Gangachari (Vardhamanachari), the son of Hoysalachari. The Yaksha and Yakshi of Sri Neminatha Tirthankara were also carved by Gangachari. His son Jinadevanna added some portion of this temple i.e. the upper portion of it. Chavundaraya basadi is flourished with exquisite art and is one of the master pieces of Jain temples.

Establishment of Dharmapeetha
He intended to establish a Dharmapeetha to guard the religious values and as a result Siddanthachakravarthi Nemichandracharya became the head of Dharmapeetha. It was later called Charukeerthi Peetha and in the later days it was considered as the seat of Shravana culture of Jainism in Karnataka.

Eventually he sacrificed his immense wealth and pleasure and also relinquished political power near the Tyagada Kamba and attained salvation through sallekhana in A.D. 989.
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1. Chamundaraya - A controversy was raged regarding the use of the name Chavunda and Chamunda and only to conclude that both the forms can be used.
2. Kalvappu - It is the primitive name of Shravanabelagola.
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Bibliography:
1. Shravanabelagola Ondhu Samikshe: Ed. Dr.G.S.Shivarudrappa (Bangalore University Publication, 1983)
2. Gommateshvara Commemoration Volume: Ed. Dr.T.G.Kalghatgi (S.D.J.M.I. Managing Committee Shravanabelagola, 1981)
3. Veeramathanda Chavundaraya: Ed. Dr.S.P.Patil (1993)