Hiremagalur

Hiremagalur, which was until recently a separate village, is now a part of Chikmagalur in Karnataka. In 1971, its population was 1,456 and area 1,300 hectares. During the 9th and 11th centuries it was a flourishing agrahara town. Legends say that the place was the residence of nine siddhas who performed penance near a pond in the village known as Siddha - Pushkarni and that as Parashurama too lived here, it was called Bhargavapuri.

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Kodandarama Temple: The temple of Kondandarama, which is State-protected, stands in the south east of the village. It seems to have been constructed in three stages. The temple is a structure in the Hoysala style, so far as the garbagriha and sukanasi are concerned, the remaining portions being subsequent additions in the Dravidian style. The present navagraha is of the 19th century A.D., while the mukhamantapa(porch) may be of the 16th century A.D. The outer walls of the garbagriha and vestibule are raised on a square basement which consists of six cornices. The outer walls of the navagraha and mukhamantapa are built of brick and mortar. The projection of the vestibule appears to be of the 17th century. In the garbagriha on a common Hanuman pedestal measuring 0.487 metre (1½ ft.) high, there are images of Kodandarmama (i.e. Rama with bow) Sita who is on the right, and Lakshmana on the left. The figure of Rama is 1.37 metres (4½ft.) tall. Rama and Lakshmana both carry arrows in their right hands and strung bows in their left hands. These images appear to be of a later date and Hoysala. According to the Sthalapurana, proud Parashurama was subdued at this place by Lord Ramachandra and as per the request of the former to show him the scene of his (Rama's) marriage, the latter took here Sitea to his right and Lakshmana to his left. The professional metallic image of the template was the form of Janardana with Shridevi and Bhudevi on the two sides.

In the prakara(enclosure) of the temple, there are small shrines containing the figures of Yoganarasimha, Vedanta Deshika, Sugriva, Kalinga, Mardhana, Madhava, Ramanujacharya, some alwars etc., Yoganarasimha is called so because he is shown in the posture of meditation. It is a fine figure which is 1.06 metres high (3½ ft.) having a prabhavati on which the 10 incarnations are sculpted. But after Rama, Balarama and Krishna are engraved and the Buddha is missing. This is common in many Shri Vaishnava representations of dashavataras as they give prominence to Balarama, believed to be metres (4½ ft.) in height with four hands, is of the pre-hoysala style, resembling Badamai Chalukya workmanship. While his right lower hand has a short round staff, the lower left is placed on the wrist. The outer-walls of the garbagrha and sukansi have, besides pilasters and turrets, two rows of figures representing mostly Vishnu and his forms such as Hayagriva, Narasimha, Lakshminarayana, Venugopala, Kalinga-Mardana and Govardhanadhari. There are also figures of Lakshmi, Hanuman, Garuda and Ganapati. A jathra of Kodandarama temple is held for one day about (February-March) of every year. The temple has a fine pond nearby which is now dry.