Mysore has numerous temples, dedicated to different
Gods and Goddesses and built intricately and are examples of the
excellence achieved in architecture during the period. Some of the other
temples in Mysore are:
Gayathri Temple:
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, the last Maharaja of Mysore, built the Gayathri
temple in 1953. The King was great devotee of the Goddess Devi including
Gayathri. Inside the enclosure of the temple there are three shrines
dedicated to Savitri, Gayathri and Lakshmi. The Navaranga has statues of
Ganesha, Shiva and Maha Vishnu. The famous sculptor of Mysore, Shilpi
Siddalingaswamy, carved these sculptures.
Someswara Temple:
This temple is in the northeast side of the fort. It has three cells
next to each other. The middle cell has a Linga, the right cell Goddess
Somasundari and the left cell Narayana. In front of the Narayana shrine
are the statues of the nine planets the 'Navagrahas' on a raised
platform. Maharani Vanivilasa Sannidhana had all these statues installed
except for the Linga, more than a century ago. It is claimed that the
Linga is much older. The outer wall on the southern side has a niche
that has a statue of Dakshinamurthy. The temple played an important role
in the Dasara festivities during the reign of Jayachamaraja Wodeyar.
Kodi Bhairava Temple:
To the southeast of Someswara Temple is the Kodi Bhairava temple. The
temple is so called because it is located on the 'Kodi' or weir of
Devaraya Sagara, now a dried up tank popularly known as Doddakere. This
Shiva temple is associated with the founders of the Mysore Royal family
or the Yadu dynasty. Legend has it that it is in this temple that the
two young prices from Gujarat (Dwaraka), Yaduraya and Krishnaraya, took
shelter, before fighting the Karugahalli chief and restoring the kingdom
to the then Royal family. Yaudraya married the local princess and became
progenitor of the Yadu dynasty. The temple has a statue of Bhairava that
is about a meter high. In His four hands the Lord Shiva has a trident, a
drum, a skull and a sword. The statue is flanked on the left by the
statue of Bhadrakali, holding a sickle in her uplifted right hand and on
the right a female Chauri-bearer.
Bhuvaneswari Temple:
This temple is situated in the northern side of the Palace Fort.
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar built the Bhuvaneswari in 1951. The temple
architecture is in the Dravidian style. The famous sculptor of Mysore
Shilpi Siddalingaswamy carved the main idol of Bhuvaneswari. The temple
also has the statues of Surya, Maha Vishnu, Maheswara, Rajarajeswari,
Ganapathi and Chamundeswari. The temple has a large 'Surya Mandala in
its possession. This copper plate was earlier with the Royal family and
was handed to the temple by Jayacjamaraja Wodeyar. On the auspicious day
of "Rath Sapthami" in the month of January-February, special
prayers are offered to the Surya Mandala.
