Tondanuru in Karnataka’s Mandya District, popularly known as Kere Tonnuru, has been associated with Sri Ramanujacharya. Tondanuru literally means the place of devotees. It was a flourishing centre of Sri Vaishnava faith and philosophy. Ramanujacharya lived here in the early 12th century and propagated his teachings. There are over 70 inscriptions found here dating from the pre-Hoysala period to the Mysore Wodeyars. Interestingly, a majority of the inscriptions are written in Tamil, in Grantha script. It attests to the frequent visits here by Sri Vaishnava devotees from Tamil Nadu.
The history of Tonnuru can be traced to the prehistoric period as megalithic burial sites have been found in the region. It has been under the control of the Gangas of Talakad, Cholas and the Hoysalas and later came under the Vijayanagara, Mysore Wodeyars, and also Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Hoysala chronicles record Tonnuru as one of the sub-capitals of the period.
The village of Tonnuru in Pandavapura taluk, around 130 km from Bengaluru, is situated amidst fertile paddy fields, coconut groves and a large pond that supplies water for agriculture, with granitic hills all around. Local traditions ascribe the excavation of the pond to Ramanujacharya, who also created a channel for water supply. The lake, called Tirumalasagara, was renamed Moti Talab during Hyder Ali’s days. The religious importance of Tonnuru was enhanced by the stay of Sri Ramanujacharya. Tonnuru temples dedicated to the Vaishnavite faith were built or renovated during his presence.
It is clear from records that Ramanuja came to Tonnuru after Hoysala King Bittiga, who ruled in the 12th century, became Vishnuvardhana and an ardent follower of Vishishtadwaita philosophy. Ramanuja’s teachings persuaded many people of the region to become his followers. Later, he moved to Melkote where he stayed for a long period. Sri Yatiraja Dasa became his follower and propagated his teachings. There are three temples built in Tonnuru during the Hoysala period. According to the Sthala Puranas, all were built in time immemorial.
The Parthasarathi (Krishna) temple is believed to have been established by Yudhishthira. The Narasimha Temple is said to have been built in Krita Yuga by Prahlada and the Nambi Narayana temple by Indra to protect the people of the region. The inscriptions connected to the temples make it clear that the current structures were all built during the Hoysala regime. Besides the Vaishnava temples, Tonnuru was an important Saiva and Jain centre from the 8-9th century onwards. There are ruins of Jain temples and the Nagareshwara/Nakhareshwara temple, the divinity worshipped by the Nakharas, the merchant community. A Dargah also had come up in Tonnuru as early as the 14th century. Tonnuru’s diverse religious faiths attest to the coexistence of various communities.
The temples at Tonnuru are non-ornate Hoysala ones. They are all built in granite stone; only at Nambi Narayana do we notice the characteristic Hoysala lathe-turned pillars. The temples have Dravida vimana and are built on square/rectangular ground plans. They have a compound and a mantapa corridor within. Many additions were made during Vijayanagara and Mysore Wodeyars periods. The Nambi Narayana temple is the largest. It has a square garbhagriha, sukhanasi (vestibule), navaranga (hall in front of garbagriha) and mahamantapa. Interestingly, the navaranga has four lathe-turned Hoysala pillars made of slate while the rest of the structure is of granite.
The temple walls have architectural motifs that look like miniature shrines and pilasters. The Vishnu image inside the garbhagriha is standing on a Garuda pitha. The deity has four arms and holds the shankha, chakra, gada and padma. The image follows the traditional tala-mana iconography in carving. It has a beautifully carved halo, which consists of makara torana and kirtimukha. There is also a Lakshmi temple within its premises. An inscription refers to Surige Nagayya, a minister of Vishnuvardhana, who enlarged the hall in front of the Lakshmi temple. The life-size images of dwarapalas flanking the main door and images of the Azhwar saints are placed in the main hall.
The Parthasarathi-Krishna temple has similar architectural features as seen in the Nambi Narayana. The temple consists of a Dravida vimana and is built on a square-planned garbhagriha. It is situated in a large complex that also has an open mantapa and subsidiary shrines within the complex. There is a pradakshinapatha outside, which is further protected by the mantapa surrounding the temple all around. The main image in the temple is unique in its depiction. Parthasarathi is in a seated posture. He is a four-armed deity having shankha, chakra, gada and padma as attributes. He is accompanied by his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi. Stylistically, Parthasarathi and Sridevi belong to one school, while Bhudevi appears different in style and size and is less adorned.
The temple of Yoga Narasimha is situated a little farther on the outskirts. It is a simple Dravida structure without great decorations. The idol inside the temple is of Hoysala period and is seated in yogic posture with yoga patta. There is also a stucco image of Sri Ramanujacharya in a shrine for him, possibly constructed during the Mysore Wodeyars period. The Ramanuja Teertha, a small body near the temple, and a hall known as Ramanuja mantapa are situated nearby.
There is a Shiva temple, the Kailasa Mudaiyar, in the northeastern corner of the village. It has simple Dravidian architecture and has a linga and nandi, besides a small shrine of Chandikeshwara. The Kere Tonnuru temples are testimony to the influence of Sri Ramanujacharya in the region. Their simple style and unique idols make them special in the history of art and architecture.
R H Kulkarni (rhkulkarniarthistory@gmail.com)
Professor, Dept of Art History, College of Fine Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath