Dede Sophie

This early 12th century soapstone temple happens to be one of the earliest known temples built in the Hoysala era. It is the only chatushkuta (four shrines) temple built by the Hoysala dynasty. It was the first grand temple dedicated to goddess Lakshmi in the South of India. There are many architectural aspects to it that are unique to this temple only and not found in any of the other Hoysala temples. I am talking about the architectural beauty called Lakshmi Devi temple that is located in the village of Doddagaddavalli. Located somewhere between Belur and Hassan, the Lakshmi Devi temple at Doddagaddvalli is a rural holiday gem set amidst a sleepy village, coconut plantations and a lake. Many things about this temple are unique. It doesn’t have a jagati or raised platform that is common with other Hoysala temples. It has a combination of Kadamba and Dravidian shikharas. It has 4 shrines. And unlike the other Hoysala temples, it lacks ornate sculptures and intricate carvings. From a

They contain some of the oldest surviving Hindu temples and iconography in India. They are a 5th century cave wonder. Many relics and sculptures from this place can be found in museums across the country. I am talking about the twenty rock cut caves at Udayagiri in Madhya Pradesh. Located just 60 kms from the capital city of Bhopal, Udayagiri caves is a group of temples and monasteries from the Gupta era that were carved out of a hill. These rock-cut caves contain iconography of Vaishnavism, Shaktism, Shaivism and Jainism. While Jainism is limited to only one cave, the other 19 caves are dedicated to Hinduism. Udayagiri, which literally means ‘sunrise mountain’, was following Surya tradition since 3rd century BCE. During the prime of Buddhism at Sanchi, Buddhism made its way to Udayagiri in the 2nd century BCE. And these rock-cut caves were built under the patronage of Chandragupta II in the late decades of the 4th century. By then, Hinduism had firmly planted its roots at Udayagiri. T