Amarashilpi Jakanachari

Amarashilpi Jakanacharya was a legendary sculptor credited with building many fine temples for the Kalyani Chalukyas and Hoysalas, including the famous sculptures at Belur and Halebidu.

His life

Jakanacharya was born in a small village called Kaidala, 9 km from Tumkur, Karnataka. The original name of the town as per records was Kridapura. His life was one of love and dedication to art. His career began when Nripa Haya ruled as a local chieftain of the area. He left home shortly after his marriage seeking fame in his field of work. He travelled far and wide building many temples and became so engrossed in his work that he forgot all about his wife.

Jakancharya and his son

Jakanacharya's wife gave birth to his child, named Dankanacharya. Dankanacharya himself grew up to become a famous sculptor and set out to find his father. At Belur, he found a job as a sculptor and noticed a flaw in a figure sculpted by the great Jakanacharya himself. Furious at this, Jakanacharya promised to cut off his right hand if the young sculptor was correct in his assessment of the sculpture. Upon testing the figure, the flaw was indeed revealed and Jakanacharya kept his promise and cut off his right hand. Eventually, the two sculptors become aware of their relationship as father and son.

Chennakeshava temple

Subsequently, Jakanacharya received a vision to build the Chennakeshava temple in his native place Kridapura. After this was completed, legend has it that God restored his right hand. In celebration of this incident, Kridapura was henceforth called Kaidala. The term Kai in Kannada means "hand". Local non-government organizations in the state of Karnataka have been trying to raise funds to protect the Chennakeshava temple at Kaidala.

The Jakancharya Awards

The government of Karnataka confers the Jakanacharya Awards to talented sculptors and craftsmen from the state every year to celebrate the contributions of this legendary architect.

External links

• Article on the life of Jakanacharya
• Article on Jakanacharya state award

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