Place · monolithic Ganesha sculpture · India
Kadalekalu Ganesha, Hampi
Also known as Gram-seed Ganesha
The Kadalekalu ('gram seed') Ganesha, uphill from Sasivekalu on Hemakuta — a 4.5-metre monolithic Ganesha carved from a single granite boulder in the 15th century, the belly shaped like a Bengal gram (chana) seed. The temple around it is a classic Vijayanagara mandapa with slender pillars and a flat-roofed porch; a dedicatory inscription records patronage by a trader from Chandragiri. The two Hemakuta Ganeshas (Sasivekalu and Kadalekalu) together form the opening sequence of the Hampi pilgrimage before pilgrims descend to Virupaksha Temple.
- Date
- 1400–1450
- Periods
- Vijayanagara
- Function
- Sacred site & pilgrimage
- Patron dynasty
- Vijayanagara
- Confidence
- Established / referenced
- Location
- 15.334, 76.461
Connections (1)
- Site withinHampi / Vijayanagara
The Kadalekalu Ganesha, a 4.5-metre monolithic figure, sits uphill from Sasivekalu on Hemakuta Hill at Hampi. The two Hemakuta Ganeshas together open the Hampi pilgrimage before pilgrims descend to Virupaksha Temple.