50-757: Balligavi a town in Shikaripura taluk Shivamogga district of Karnataka state, India , is today known as Belagami or Balagame. Its ancient names are Baligrama, Dakshina Kedara, Valliggame and Valligrame. Dakshina Kedara means Kedarnath of the South. A place of antiquity, it is known for its ancient monuments. Balligavi is located 72 km from Shivamogga city and 21 km from Shikaripura town and 2.3 km from Shiralakoppa in Shikaripura taluk. Balli in Kannada means creeper or vine. Archaeologically, Balligavi dated from
100-692: A celestial attendant of Shiva. The 'Tripurantaka Temple (also called Tripurantakesvara or Tripurantakeshwara) was built around c. 1070 CE by the Western Chalukyas . This temple, which is in a dilapidated state, is in the historically important town of Balligavi (also called Balagamve), modern Shivamogga district , Karnataka state , India . The exterior walls of the temple have erotic sculptures on friezes . These depictions are considered rare in Chalukyan art . Being miniature in size, these are visible only upon close examination. During medieval times, Balligavi
150-558: A chakra (not to be confused with Sudarshan Chakra) as gift. A similar story is told in the late medieval era Sharabha Upanishad . However, Vaishnava Dvaita school refutes this Shaivite view of Narasimha. According to the Shiva Purana , Shiva has 19 avatars. According to the Kurma Purana , he has 28. The vanara god Hanuman who helped Rama (the Vishnu avatar) is considered by some to be
200-511: A powerful deity , or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes used to refer to any guru or revered human being. The word avatar does not appear in the Vedic literature; however, it appears in developed forms in post-Vedic literature, and as a noun particularly in the Puranic literature after the 6th century CE. Despite that, the concept of an avatar
250-826: Is a saguna (with form, attributes) embodiment of the nirguna Brahman or Atman (soul). Avatar, according to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati actually means ' divine descent ' in his commentaries of The Shrimad Bhagavatam and The Bramha Samhita (mentioned in Brahmavaivarta Purana). Neither the Vedas nor the Principal Upanishads ever mention the word avatar as a noun. The verb roots and form, such as avatarana , appear in ancient post-Vedic Hindu texts, but as "action of descending", but not as an incarnated person (avatara). The related verb avatarana is, states Paul Hacker, used with double meaning, one as action of
300-508: Is a major town in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka . It is the headquarters of Shikaripur taluk and is known as the land of shivasharanas. Shikaripur is located at 14°16′N 75°21′E / 14.27°N 75.35°E / 14.27; 75.35 . It has an average elevation of 603 m (1978 ft). It lies on tropical forests of Malenadu region. Shikaripura
350-479: Is a quiet town much of whose daily routines revolve around agriculture and the famous 11th century Kedaresvara Temple and Tripurantakesvara Temple . Legend has it that Balligavi was the capital of an Asura king (demon) and hence was called Balipura (city of Bali ). The Pandavas came here while on their Vanavasa (forest sojourn) and installed the Panchalinga (five lingas ); hence the name Panchalingeswara to
400-500: Is a transcendental theology, where man, with the help of his Guru , is his own savior. The Linga Purana lists twenty-eight avatars of Shiva. In the Shiva Purana there is a distinctly Saivite version of a traditional avatar myth: Shiva brings forth Virabhadra , one of his terrifying forms, in order to calm Narasimha , an avatar of Vishnu. When that fails, Shiva manifests as the human-lion-bird Sharabha which calms down lion-man Narasimha avatar of Vishnu, and Shiva then gives Vishnu
450-587: Is an excellent example of a trikuta "triple towers" temple in a transitional Western Chalukya-Hoysala architecture. It is the oldest example of such a combinational style in Karnataka according to reports from the Mysore archaeological department. The temple faces east and has a stepped entrance on three sides. The entrance on the sides is a Western Chalukya idiom. The central shrine has a linga (universal symbol of Shiva) made from black marble ( Krishnashila ). The shrine to
500-523: Is compatible with the content of the Vedic literature like the Upanishads as it is symbolic imagery of the Saguna Brahman concept in the philosophy of Hinduism. The Rigveda describes Indra as endowed with a mysterious power of assuming any form at will. The Bhagavad Gita expounds the doctrine of Avatara but with terms other than avatar . Theologically, the term is most often associated with
550-409: Is in medieval era texts, those composed after the sixth century CE, that the noun version of avatar appears, where it means embodiment of a deity. The idea proliferates thereafter, in the Puranic stories for many deities, and with ideas such as ansha-avatar or partial embodiments. The term avatar , in colloquial use, is also an epithet or a word of reverence for any extraordinary human being who
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#1732851096220600-509: Is most often associated with Vishnu, the preserver or sustainer aspect of God within the Hindu Trinity or Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Vishnu's avatars descend to empower the good and fight evil, thereby restoring Dharma . Traditional Hindus see themselves not as "Hindu", but as Vaishnava (Worshippers of Vishnu), Shaiva (Worshippers of Shiva), or Shakta (Worshipper of the Shakti). Each of
650-482: Is one of the junction to connect north karnataka to Malenadu. And the river kumadvati flows from the town and nearest dams anjanapura and ambligola, nearest tourist places balligavi,udutadi,jogfalls,lionsafori,agumbe,koodachadri,kavaledurga fort,bhadra river project, gajnur dam , sakrebaylu. As of 2001 India census , Shikaripura had a population of 31,508. Males constituted 51% of the population and females 49%. Shikaripura had an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than
700-452: Is revered for his or her ideas. In some contexts, the term avatara just means a ' landing place, site of sacred pilgrimage ' , or just ' achieve one's goals after effort ' , or retranslation of a text in another language. The term avatar is not unique to Hinduism even though the term originated with Hinduism. It is found in the Trikaya doctrine of Mahayana Buddhism, in descriptions for
750-815: Is when Vishnu manifests completely along with his qualities and powers. In Bengal Vaishnavism, Krishna is the Purnarupa . In Shaivism, Bhairava is the purnarupa of Shiva. 24 avatars of Vishnu are mentioned in Bachitar Natak's composition in Dasam Granth , the second scripture of Sikhism written by Guru Gobind Singh : The Guru Granth Sahib reverentially includes the names of numerous Hindu deities, including Vishnu avatars such as Krishna, Hari, and Rama, as well those of Devi as Durga. Dasam Granth has three major compositions, one each dedicated to avatars of Vishnu (Chaubis avatar) and Brahma. However, Sikhism rejects
800-429: The vimana are very well decorated with sculptures of Tandaveshwara , Varaha , Uma Narasimha , Bhairava etc. ( avatars of Shiva and Vishnu) and the sukanasi of all three towers still exist. The western shrine is the oldest dating from the 7th or 8th century. Attached to the vestibule that connects the shrines is a well designed open mantapa with two rows of pillars. The outer row of pillars are 16 faced while
850-577: The Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism, and many ancient cultures. The manifest embodiment is sometimes referred to as an incarnation . The translation of avatar as "incarnation" has been questioned by Christian theologians, who state that an incarnation is in flesh and imperfect, while avatar is mythical and perfect. The theological concept of Christ as an incarnation, as found in Christology , presents
900-669: The Devi in different appearances such as Tripura Sundari , Durga , Chandi , Chamunda , Mahakali , and Kali are commonly found. While avatars of other deities such as Ganesha and Shiva are also mentioned in medieval Hindu texts, this is minor and occasional. The incarnation doctrine is one of the important differences between Vaishnavism and Shaivism traditions of Hinduism. Incarnation concepts that are in some aspects similar to avatar are also found in Buddhism , Christianity , and other religions. The scriptures of Sikhism include
950-499: The Indian subcontinent . Although Puranic scriptures contain occasional references to avatars of Shiva, the avatar doctrine is neither universally accepted nor commonly adopted in Shaivism . The views on the doctrine of incarnation has been one of the significant doctrinal differences between Vaishnavism and Shaivism, in addition to their differences on the role of householder life versus monastic life for spiritual release. Shaivism
1000-489: The Pancharatra , making a total of forty-six avatars. However, despite these lists, the commonly accepted number of ten avatars for Vishnu was fixed well before the 10th century CE. Madhvacharya also regards Gautama Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu. Manava Purana Manava Purana is one of Upapuranas. It lists 42 avatars of Vishnu. The avatar concept was further developed and refined in later Hindu texts. One approach
1050-803: The Ramayana includes Rama. The Bhagavata Purana describes Vishnu's avatars as innumerable, though ten of his incarnations, the Dashavatara, are celebrated therein as his major appearances. The ten major Vishnu avatars are mentioned in the Agni Purana , the Garuda Purana and the Bhagavata Purana. The ten best known avatars of Vishnu are collectively known as the Dashavatara (a Sanskrit compound meaning "ten avatars"). Five different lists are included in
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#17328510962201100-815: The Satavahana - Kadamba era and the Chaturmukha linga (four faced linga ) here is in that style. The area came under the Banavasi province of the Kadamba Dynasty in 4-5th century AD. Important Kadamba inscriptions like the Talagunda inscriptions, near Balligavi have been collected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The golden age of Balligavi was during the rule of the Western Chalukya Empire during
1150-578: The Skanda Purana , Brahma incarnated himself as Yajnavalkya in response to a curse from Shiva. The Linga Purana declares that Ganesha incarnates to destroy demons and to help the gods and pious people. The two Upapuranas – Ganesha Purana and Mudgala Purana – detail the avatars of Ganesha. Both these upapuranas are core scriptures of the Ganapatya sect – exclusively dedicated to Ganesha worship. Four avatars of Ganesha are listed in
1200-462: The 10th-12th centuries. The earliest inscription mentioning the name Balligavi is a 685 CE Badami Chalukya inscription. Balligavi during these times had six mathas , three pura s "extensions", five vidyapitha s "places of learning", and seven Brahmapuris . The mathas belonged to Shaivas , Vaishnavas , Jainas and Buddhists . The Kedareshwara matha belonging to the Kalamukha Shaivas and
1250-454: The Bhagavata Purana, where the difference is in the sequence of the names. Freda Matchett states that this re-sequencing by the composers may be intentional, so as to avoid implying priority or placing something definitive and limited to the abstract. The Bhagavata Purana also goes on to give an alternate list, wherein it numerically lists out 23 Vishnu avatars in chapter 1.3. Avatars like Hayagriva , Hamsa, and Garuda are also mentioned in
1300-687: The Christian concept of incarnation. The term avatar in Hinduism refers to act of various gods taking form to perform a particular task which in most of the times is bringing dharma back. The concept of avatar is widely accepted all over the India. Sheth disagrees and states that this claim is an incorrect understanding of the Hindu concept of avatar. Avatars are embodiments of spiritual perfection, driven by noble goals, in Hindu traditions such as Vaishnavism . The concept of
1350-774: The Goddess includes Shakambhari and even the masculine Krishna and Rama – generally thought to be Vishnu's avatars. Parvati , Lakshmi and Saraswati are main goddesses worshipped as Devi avatars. Devi is popular in her form as Parvati . In Devi Mahatmya she is seen as the Goddess Mahakali , and in Uma Samhita, she is seen as Devi herself. Regarding her incarnations, it varies per sect in Hinduism. She could be all Goddesses as said in Shaivism and some main Shatism interpretations like
1400-617: The Hindu god Vishnu , though the idea has been applied to other deities. Varying lists of avatars of Vishnu appear in Hindu scriptures, including the ten Dashavatara of the Garuda Purana and the twenty-two avatars in the Bhagavata Purana , though the latter adds that the incarnations of Vishnu are innumerable. The avatars of Vishnu are important in Vaishnavism theology. In the goddess-based Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, avatars of
1450-627: The Kodiya matha was well known and had the patronage of the Hoysala emperors , marking the place as one of religious activity. Records also indicate that an ancient University existed here. The town also had 54 temples and supported 60,000 residents during that time. Several Inscriptions reveas that it was very prominent and stronghold capital of the Vira Bananju warrior merchant community, i.e. modern day Banajigara or Banajiga or Balija community. Today, Balligavi
1500-460: The Sri kula and Kali Kula families, or just a form of Devi in some other Shaktism interpretations and many Vaishnava interpretations. With this in mind, Parvati's forms include: All of these incarnations helped provide security to the world and even brought Shiva into the participation of worldly affairs. Like Vishnu, his consort Lakshmi incarnates as in many forms to help provide order and to enlighten
1550-615: The avatar in Hinduism is not incompatible with natural conception through a sexual act, which is again different from the Christian concept of the Virgin Birth . Following 19th Century Western interest in Indian culture and Hinduism, the word "Avatar" was taken as loanword into English and other Western languages, where it is used in various contexts and meanings, often considerably different from its original meaning in Hinduism - see Avatar (disambiguation) . The concept of avatar within Hinduism
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1600-399: The cosmic balance between the ever-present forces of good and evil. The most known and celebrated avatars of Vishnu, within the Vaishnavism traditions of Hinduism, are Krishna , Rama , Narayana and Vasudeva . These names have extensive literature associated with them, each has its own characteristics, legends and associated arts. The Mahabharata , for example, includes Krishna, while
1650-460: The deities has its own iconography and mythology, but common to all is the fact that the divine reality has an explicit form, a form that the worshipper can behold. An oft-quoted passage from the Bhagavad Gita describes the typical role of an avatar of Vishnu: Arjuna, whenever righteousness is on the decline, unrighteousness is in the ascendant, then I body Myself forth. For the protection of
1700-454: The divine descending, another as "laying down the burden of man" suffering from the forces of evil. The term is most commonly found in the context of the Hindu god Vishnu . The earliest mention of Vishnu manifested in a human form to establish Dharma on Earth, uses other terms such as the word sambhavāmi in verse 4.6 and the word tanu in verse 9.11 of the Bhagavad Gita , as well as other words such as akriti and rupa elsewhere. It
1750-432: The doctrine of savior incarnation, and only accepts the abstract nirguna formless god. The Sikh Gurus endorsed the view of Hindu Bhakti movement saints such as Namdev (≈1270 – 1350 CE) that formless eternal god is within the human heart and man is his own savior. The Gupti Ismailis , who observe pious circumspection as Hindus, uphold that the first Shi‘i Imam, ‘Ali b. Abi Talib , as well as his descendants through
1800-620: The eleventh avatar of Rudra (Shiva). Some regional deities like Khandoba are also believed by some to be avatars of Shiva. Ashwatthama , the son of Drona is also considered to be an avatar of Shiva. Shesha and his avatars ( Balarama and Lakshmana ) are occasionally linked to Shiva. Adi Shankara , the formulator of Advaita Vedanta , is also occasionally regarded as an avatar of Shiva. In Dasam Granth , Guru Gobind Singh mentioned two avatars of Rudra: Dattatreya Avatar and Parasnath Avatar. Avatars are also observed in Shaktism ,
1850-481: The embodiment of the essence of a superhuman being or a deity in another form. The word also implies "to overcome, to remove, to bring down, to cross something". In Hindu traditions, the "crossing or coming down" is symbolism, states Daniel Bassuk, of the divine descent from "eternity into the temporal realm, from unconditioned to the conditioned, from infinitude to finitude". An avatar, states Justin Edwards Abbott,
1900-711: The form of image ( archa ). Yet another classification, developed in Krishna schools, centers around Guna-avatars , Purusha-avatars and Lila-avatars , with their subtypes. The Guna-avatar classification of avatars is based on the Guṇas concept of the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy, that is Rajas (Brahma), Sattva (Vishnu), and Tamas (Shiva). These personalities of the Trimurti are referred to as Guna avatars . The Purushavatara are three. The first evolves all matter (Prakriti),
1950-401: The inner row of pillars are lathe turned with bell shaped mouldings, a style popular with both Western Chalukys and Hoysalas. The ceiling of the mantapa is flat and the inner ceiling is well carved with lotuses in them. The central ceiling has the carving of Tandaveshwara (dancing Shiva) with eight dikpalakas (guards). The entrance to the shrine which faces east has a Nandi , the bull and
2000-475: The line of Isma‘il , are collectively Kalki, the tenth and final avatāra of Vishnu. According to this interpretation, these figures represent the continuity of divine guidance to humankind. In the view of some Guptis, this is corroborated by the Quranic verse 14:4 which mentions the idea that God had sent a messenger to every land . They understand the avatāras to be these messengers sent by God to their people in
2050-655: The names of numerous Hindu gods and goddesses, but it rejected the doctrine of savior incarnation and endorsed the view of Hindu Bhakti movement saints such as Namdev , that formless eternal god is within the human heart, and man is his own savior. The Sanskrit noun ( avatāra , Hindustani: [əʋˈtaːr] ) is derived from the Sanskrit prefix ava- ' down ' and the root tṛ ' to cross over ' . These roots trace back, states Monier-Williams, to -taritum , -tarati , -rītum . Avatar means ' descent, alight, to make one's appearance ' , and refers to
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2100-461: The national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 75%, and female literacy was 67%. In Shikarpur, 12% of the population were under 6 years of age. Avatar Traditional Avatar ( Sanskrit : अवतार , IAST : Avatāra ; pronounced [ɐʋɐt̪aːɾɐ] ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means ' descent ' . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of
2150-403: The second is the soul present in each individual creature, the third is the interconnected oneness or Brahman that connects all souls. The Lilavataras are partial or full manifestations of Vishnu, where either some powers (Shakti) or material parts of him exist. Vishnu is Purushavatara. The Matsya, Kurma, and Vamana avatars of Vishnu are Lilavataras. A Purnarupa in this classification,
2200-622: The sect dedicated to the worship of the Goddess ( Devi ), but they do not have universal acceptance in the sect. The Devi Bhagavata Purana describes the descent of Devi avatars to punish the wicked and defend the righteous as – much as the Bhagavata Purana does with the avatars of Vishnu. Nilakantha, an 18th-century commentator on the Devi Bhagavata Purana ;– which includes the Devi Gita ;– says that various avatars of
2250-412: The south has a linga called Brahma and the shrine to the north has a statue of Janardhana ( Vishnu ). The temple's outside plan is in "staggered-square" style with many projections and recesses which is a Hoysala design. The outer walls of the open mandapa (hall) have carvings of women wearing fine jewellery. Two Hoysala emblems were added in 1060 CE by Vinayaditya . The superstructure (tower) of
2300-407: The virtuous, for the extirpation of evil-doers, & for establishing Dharma (righteousness) on a firm footing, I manifest Myself from age to age. The Vishnu avatars appear in Hindu mythology whenever the cosmos is in crisis, typically because evil has grown stronger and has thrown the cosmos out of its balance. The avatar then appears in a material form, to destroy evil and its sources, and restore
2350-610: The well known temple here. Linga is the universal symbol of Shiva . Balligavi is also the birthplace of the great Virashaiva saint Allama Prabhu and is closely associated with Vachana poet Akka Mahadevi who was born in nearby Udugani (also known as Udutadi). She was a contemporary of Allama Prabhu and Basavanna , the founder of the Virashaiva movement. Balligavi is also the birthplace of Shantala Devi, queen of Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana . Many famous Hoysala sculptors like Dasoja, Malloja, Nadoja, Siddoja hailed from here. This
2400-782: The world with her consort. She has many forms, and just like Parvati, some of her forms are not consistent throughout all sects and interpretations of Hinduism. In Vaishnavism and some interpretations of Shaktism, Lakshmi is seen as Devi herself. She could be every Goddess as said in Vaishnavism and some interpretations of Shaktism, or just another form of Devi as seen in other interpretations of Shaktism and in Shaivism. With this in mind, Lakshmi's forms include: In Dasam Granth , second scriptures of Sikhs written by Guru Gobind Singh, mentioned seven Brahma Avatars. Khat avatar in this list refers to six different scholars who are considered to be founders of six schools of Indian philosophy . According to
2450-509: Was a seat of learning to multiple religious faiths and was home to many monuments and structures built by the Chalukyas. More than 80 medieval inscriptions have been discovered in Balligavi and belong to the Hindu ( Shaiva , Vaishnava ), Jain and Buddhist traditions. These inscriptions describe, among other things, the building of temples. Shikaripura Shikaripur or Shikaripura
2500-517: Was to identify full avatars and partial avatars. Krishna, Rama, and Narasimha were full avatars ( purna avatars ), while others were partial avatars ( ansha avatars ). Some declared, states Noel Sheth, that every living creature is an avatar of Vishnu. The Pancharatra text of Vaishnavism declares that Vishnu's avatars include those that are direct and complete ( sakshad ), indirect and endowed ( avesha ), cosmic and salvific ( vyuha ), inner and inspirational ( antaryamin ), consecrated and in
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