Description16th century Kodandarama temple, Vontimitta, Andhra Pradesh India - 25.jpg
English: The Kodandarama temple at Vontimitta is a major Hindu temple about 25 kilometers east of Kadapa city, in Andhra Pradesh. Built anew a bit south of Pennar river during the Vijayanagara Empire era, the Vontimitta temple – along with those at Somapalem and Tadpatri – reflects the architectural principles that flourished in the Deccan region with Vijayanagara patrons.
The temple is dedicated to Rama, the Vishnu avatar best known through the epic Ramayana. There are several Kodandarama temples in India, such as the one in Hampi. The Vontimitta temple offers a comparative benchmark. The temple name is derived from the word kodanda (bow), as the Hindu legends of focus here are Rama with a bow (along with Lakshmana) as they meet and engage Sugriva and Hanuman in their epic struggle for Sita and dharma.
There was likely an older temple tradition, upon which a major temple complex was added in the 16th-century. This is evidenced by two slabs with inscriptions recording the gift of the gopura and the prakara of the temple. These inscriptions are dated to between 1554 and 1558 CE.
The temple faces east, has major gopura landmarks visible to pilgrims walking towards the temple, a prakara compound, rangamandapa, mahamandapa and other Vaishnava features. The circumambulation path was likely added later by modification of the original mandapam.
The shikhara (spire) reflects the Rudracchanda-style of Hindu architecture.
The pillars and walls here are intricately carved and decorated with reliefs in the Vijayanagara style. These reliefs show scenes primarily about Rama with kodanda (bow) from the Ramayana. Other scenes include those of the Vedas (churning of the ocean), major Vishnu-legends, artha, dharma and kama theme of the Hindu pantheon. A section is dedicated to Alvars, the poet-saints of the South Indian Hindu traditions.
Sections of the temple show signs of deliberate damage and mutilation, as well as modern era restoration efforts.
Photographs created by P. Madhusudan, Telangaana, India uploaded by User:Ms Sarah Welch are released as CC-0.
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