Legendary Jakanachari artistic photo, and one of his creation on the right. Jakanachari was a legendary Indian sculptor credited with build...
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| Legendary Jakanachari artistic photo, and one of his creation on the right. |
Jakanachari was a legendary Indian sculptor credited with building many fine temples for the Kalyani Chalukyas and Hoysalas. He is popularly known by the epithet Amarashilpi (transl. The Eternal Sculptor).
Jakanachari was born in a small village called Kaidala, about 9 km from present day Tumkur in Karnataka. It is known that the original name of the village/hamlet was Kridapura. Jakanachari is said to be a passionate artist & sculptor, his life was one of love and dedication to art. He left home shortly after his marriage choosing utter devotion to god over family. He travelled far and wide building many temples. His career began a local chieftain named Nripa Haya was ruling the region in and around Kridapura.
Soon after when Jakanachari set off on his seeking, his wife being pregnant at that time gave birth to his child, who was named Dankanacharya. Dankanacharya also grew up to become a famous sculptor and set out to find his father after hearing about him from his people. On his seeking, he found a job as a sculptor at Beluru, and during his work he noticed a flaw in a figure sculpted by the great Jakanacharya himself. Dankanacharya told Jakanacharya that the stone which he was carving had a toad living inside which was a considered to be a flaw by the sculptors. Furious at this, Jakanacharya challenged to cut off his right hand if the young sculptor was correct in his assessment of the sculpture. Dankanacharya chiselled the place where the flaw was present and a toad jumped out with a little water flowing from that spot. Upon testing the figure, the flaw was indeed revealed and Jakanacharya kept his promise and cut off his right hand but Dankanacharya insisted not to do so, but he didn't listen to him. Eventually, the two sculptors become aware of their relationship as father and son, and carved another idol to be installed at Beluru.
Subsequently, the incident of the happenings at Beluru was heard by the then king and empathetically offered a wish to Jakanacharya, and the great scultpor said he had a vision to build the Chennakeshava temple in his native place Kridapura. King granted his wish, and soon after this temple was completed, legend has it that God restored his right hand. Perhaps, the legend was a prosthetic which was considered super-natural and in celebration of this incident, Kridapura was henceforth called Kaidala. The term Kai in Kannada means "hand", dala means "power".
Several movies were produced in the southern Indian movie industries in honour the legend.
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