Kolanuru of odela mandal

Kolanuru in Odela Mandal is about 30 kms to the northeast of Karimnagar and 10 kms to the north of Odela. It lies on the way to Kaluva-Srirampur and can be reached by bus from Sultanabad.

There is a beautiful ruined temple at the fag end of the village beside the tank. In the absence of epigraphic evidence it is difficult to judge the period. But the temple appears to be an admixture exhibiting both the Chalukyan and Kakatiyan features and may be safely assigned to 12th Century A.D., when the Chalukyan power was waning away giving scope to the rise of the independent Kakatiya rulers.

Siva Temple
This is a single shrine temple consisting of garbhagriha an open ardhamandapa without any doorway and a sixteen pillared mandapa before it. The temple in total is in a dilapidated condition. The garbhagriha and the spire above it are lost andthe debris of which can be noticed on the spot. The deity Sivalinga which once adorned the garbhagriha is now found placed in the open ardhamandapa. The pedestal containing linga is 5 feet long, 3 feet wide and 1'-6" high with a few mouldings.



The doorway of garbhagriha as visible now contains Gajalakshmi on lalata and Saivite Dvarapalas which are not delicately carved at the base. The walls of garbhagriha are lost. But the remnant portion of the wall on the south is seen divided by means of pilasters.

Ardhamandapa pillars Wall remnants Kakshasanas on parapet
The adhistana of the mandapa contains upana, broad patta, gala and a vedi decorated with semi circular stones looking upward. The gala part of adhisthana is cut into several compartments each filled with a four petalled conventional flower usually seen on the Western Chalukyan temples. A flight of steps leads into mukhamandapa which is a 26 feet squarehall. The parapet runs all along the mandapa leaving passages on the east north and south. The Kakshasanas are arranged over the parapet and their outer faces are decorated with Gaja and
Simha motifs.

The four central pillars are massive when compared to the corresponding pillars rising over the parapet. The ceiling of the mandapa is flat except the central portion laid in Kadalikakarana process with a full blown lotus containing
the bud looking down. A small cell built in the south-west corner of the mandapa probably for the consort of Siva is now vacant.

1.Ganapati : This sculpture endowed with a single pair of arms
and an elephant head with out a crown holding tusk in left hand
and modakas in right hand on which the tip of the trunk rests, is
noticed in the mandapa with a height of 1'-6".

2. Saptamatrika Slab : This slab containing seven goddesses with
four hands flanked by Vinayaka and Virabhadra is now placed
in the Mukhamandapa.

3. Nandi : This typical Kakatiyan Nandi of 4 feet length and 3
feet height adorned with a chain of bells on the body and another
hara of bells hanging from the neck is now found placed at the
centre of the Mukhamandapa. But its snout is found mutilated.

4. Nagini : This half human and half serpentine sculpture holding
sword and shield in her hands is now perched to the eastern
compound wall of near by Venugopala temple.


Venugopala Temple
A few yards away in the south-east of the Siva temple there is a Venugopala temple containing garbhagriha, antarala and sixteen pillared mukhamandapa. The spire of the shrine is in stepped pyramidal form.