Degaon is 5 kms from Kittur, 10 km from Halasi and 24 km from Bailhongal.
It is famous for Kadamba style Kamala Narayana temple, place with rich archeological find. Name of the place might have originated from its temple complex Devagrama meaning a village of God.
Kamala Narayana Temple was built by the Kadamba queen, Kamaladevi in the 12th century. The sculptures are breathtakingly beautiful. Lions and floral motifs vie with dancing girls for attention.
The temple is rectangular in shape and consists of three cells with the pillared hall running from North to South in front of the shrines on the west side. Each of these shrines is divided into two parts, Garbhagriha and Sukhanasi. The frames of the doorways of the Sukhanasi are carved with creepers. The pieced stone windows which surround the doorways are ‘more ornamental than in any other Kadamba temple. The Garbhagihas have, as in other Kadamba temples, the dedicatory block with the image of Gaja-Lakshmi.
The first cell contains the image of Narayana.
The second cell has the icon of Lakshmi-Narayana with Lakshmi seated on the lap of Vishnu. Garuda and Maruti are standing on either side of this image.
The third cell bears the image of Kamala with two attendants on either side.
The walls of the temple are adorned with niche having plasters surmounted by terraced pyramidal towers in the Kadamba style crowned with a Kalasha. The ceiling has pendant lotuses, all of them artistic pieces of workmanship remarkable for richness of ornamentation and elaboration of details.
Link: Vijay Itagi
Mr Dmello you are correct about the queen kamaladevi. she was wife of shivachitta or Permadideva who was ruling from Gopakapur Or Goa. But vishnuchitta never become the king of Goa. After the death of Shivachaitt Jayakeshi was made as the king.
how to go there from belgaum….
how far is it from there
it is 25 kilometres from Dharwaron poona bengaluru national highway nuber-4 and Asian
highway number-47.All buses which are going towards Goa from Kittur will go via Degavi. It about 65 kms from belgaum. we have to travel from belgaum to kittur and take diversion towards right and trvel for only 5 killometres to reach Degavi. nearest Railway station is Dharwad. and nearest Air fort is belgaum.
Start from belgaum on NH-4 towards benglore. We reach Kittur on the way.take right turn towards Goa and trave for 5 to 6 killometres to reach Degavi. It was capital of king vishnuchitta the brother of vijayaditya. Vijayaditya was king of Goa.Vshnuchitta built these temples in 1189 A.D.
The kings of ancient period who build the temples are remembered all the time, as they have built very good temples. and these temples somes are named after them. femous halebidu tremple is called as hoysaleshwar temple, so the temple in degavi is named after the queen kamaladevi and called as kamalanarayan temple. RajAditya in one of his poems describes kamaladevi. He prays lakshmi to bless him by giving knowledge, wealth states " kamale kamalsthe enrich me with knowledge'' many builders are from PUBAGE which proves our opinion that Rajaditya was certainly in kingdom of Kadamba's
verygood information is provided here..Degavi tempe was built under the supervision of kamala devi. so she errectced tthe god kamal Narayan there. Builder tippoj is brought from Pubhage, which is now called as Rayabag. earliest mathematician Rajadity was poet in under protection of king VijyAdity.
Rajaditya wrote many mathematics books, namely, vyavahar ganit, vyavahar ratna,rekhaganit,citra hasuge, leelavati all of which are written kannada. Virupaxappa Korgal did research on RajAditya.By going through the works of Rajaditya, it is possible to know the way in which coins were minted,rates of different eatable, political status,the currency of the different areas, weights and measures of time,taxation system,social conditions of the people of that time,transportation system by different way,war between the two kingdoms etc.Rajaditya was the member of royal assembly, he use to entertain the council by presenting mathematical fuzzles.He was cheif examiner of the juwels , and precious stones.Rajaditya was jain by birth.His father was Sripati, mother was vasantakye,His official teacher was Shubhachandra,probabily Rajaditya was appointed as governor of some area.
Rajaditya was sponcered by a king vishnu.earliear researcher like R.Narsimhacarya thought to be vishnuvardhan of Hoysal kingdom.but it was not correct.RajAditya praises the kadamba's in his work.if he would have been in hoysala kingdom he could not have praised the Kadamba's who were one time enemies of Hoysala's.Sivchitta and vishnu chitta were kadmba kings of goa. Sivchitta was ruling from goa. his younger brother vishnuchitta was placed as gov in degAvi or hlasagi. vishnuchitta himself brougt the builders of the temple from his native place Pubhage, one of such name is tippoja.Gopakpur was the kingdom of kadamba's, which is modern Goa.Kamaladevi wife of vishnu chitta sponcerned many poets like rajadity there were nine poet in the assembly of poets.
Mr. K. Virupaxappa,
Thank you for the excellent write up about Poet/Mathematician Rajaditya whose stay at Goa can be confirmed as he wrote praises of queen Kamaladeva as informed by you.
As per inscription (see link provided) Kadamba Kamala Narayana temple at Devgrama was constructed in 1174 A.D. by Kamaladevi, the wife of the sixth Goa Kadamba chief Shiva Chitta Permadi (perhaps a Hangal Kadamba princess). see link: (http://www.asidharwadcircle.co.in/belagaviMonuments.html#15)
The above clearly says Kamaladevi was wife of Sivachitta and not Vishnuchitta (Vijayaditya), who was governor was ruling from Degamve or Halsi and after AD.1181 became king of Goa as his brother may have died or abdicated in Vijayaditya’s favour.
Please advise. Thanks.
Mr Dmello you are right about the Kamaladevi. who was the queen of shivachitta. But vishnuchitta never became the kingof Goa. After the death of shivachitta jayakeshi-3 took charge as king of Goa.
Mr Dmello, vishnuchitta never became the king of Goa. After the death of shivachitta jayakeshi-3 took charge as king of Goa.
Yes it is true. kamaladevi was wife of shivachitya or vijayaditya. He was the king of kadamaba’s of Goa. vishnuchitta was not in Goa, perhaps he was ruling small kingdom halasige-12000. But vishnuchitya was more interested in literary fieldand sculpture, as because he brought the people from his place POOvinabage toconstruct this Kamalanarayana, and Lakshmidevi temples in Degave. RAJDITYA Kannada poet has written seven mathematics book all in poems. that was his greatness. Earlier researchers had decided that he wrote six books, but I have Found one more work of him that is Muttinchippin sootragalu which narrates different types of pearls precious stones. His book vyavahara Ganit is very interesting book, which gives the social picture of 12th century A.D.Recently a research work composed by me was published.