Parvati and Kumaraswamy temple, Krauncha Giri

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This beautiful forest, which is the location of the Krauncha Giri Temple, still provides shelter for varied wildlife from peacocks to leopards. But, the area is rich in iron and manganese ore. Recent irresponsible mining activities have brought both the forest and the Krauncha Giri Temple under threat.

The Krauncha Giri Temple has a number of unusual features. It apparently belongs to the “middle phase” of Badami Chalukya architecture, also called the Vesara style by some, and “Karnataka Dravida” by Adam Hardy, who sees this Deccan style as a part of the Dravidian architecture of the south, distinct from the version that developed in Tamil Nadu. The Krauncha Giri Temple has no mandapa, but a long Antarala, over which is, according to Adam Hardy, “possibly the first use of a Sukanasa in a Dravida temple”. The vimana tower over the shrine is “a very unusual composition, strangely advanced-looking in the compression of horizontal layers, and in the sense of out surge”.

The Parvati temple which was originally called Kumaraswamy temple was built by the Badami Chalukyas of the 7th – 8th century and has the image of Parvati as the main deity.

The Parvati temple has a number of unusual features. It apparently belongs to the “middle phase” of Badami Chalukya architecture, also called the Vesara style by some, and “Karnataka Dravida” by Adam Hardy, who sees this Deccan style as a part of the Dravidian architecture of the south, distinct from the version that developed in Tamil Nadu. The Krauncha Giri Temple has no mandapa, but a long Antaralaya, over which is, according to Adam Hardy, “possibly the first use of a Sukanasa in a Dravida temple and Krauncha Giri Temple”. The vimana tower over the shrine is “a very unusual composition, strangely advanced-looking in the compression of horizontal layers, and in the sense of out surge”.

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A distinctive feature of the mountain is its elliptical shape with a diametric narrow pass. According to legend, this gap is made when Kartikeya pierced the mountain in the battle with the demon Tharaka, with his sphere weapon vel to kill the demons who were hidden inside the mountain. This legend is held in high esteem in Hindu mythologies including Mahabharata Salya Parva. 46, Skanda Purana Asura Kadam. Krauncha Giri is also associated with legends of the sages Agastya and Parasuram.

Kalidasa in his work Megha Sandesa describes the gap in the mountain. This place is connected with legends of Sri Sailam jyotirlinga in Andhra Pradesh. The name ‘Krauncha Giri’ is very familiar to many, but few know the location of this legendary mountain. For many, it’s just a mythical one like Mount Meru.